Prince Harry rounded off his hugely successful week-long tour of the U.S. today very much in his comfort zone – playing polo.
The
28-year-old's team won the match at the exclusive Greenwich Polo Club
in aid of Sentebale, the charity he set up to help children in the
poverty stricken African kingdom of Lesotho.
And
as well as being awarded a trophy for his team's stellar effort, the
prince also scored a kiss from model Karolina Kurkova at the end of the
fast-moving game.
Cheered on by models, designers and wealthy guests, Harry played in a team captained
by Malcolm Borthwick, a regular in the England team, against a team led by Argentinian player and Ralph
Lauren model, Nacho Figueras.
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Winner: Harry gets a kiss from Model Karolina Kurkova after winning the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup
Enjoying himself: Harry laughed as he played polo on his last day in the United States
Winners! Prince Harry and his teammates lift the trophy after winning cup at Greenwich
Celebrating: Harry relaxes with a female bystander after the end of the polo match
All smiles: The prince poses for a photograph with another player and two women at the event
Borwick
said Harry would show his true athleticism on the field after having
tried his hand at baseball in New York City on Tuesday. 'He's an extremely good polo player,' he said.
Also playing on Prince Harry's team was Dawn Jones, wife of the actor Tommy Lee Jones.
The game kicked off after Harry arrived in a
motorcade dressed in jeans, a blazer and his favorite desert boots. He
was greeted by club founder Peter Brandt and his model wife, Stephanie
Seymour.
Brandt,
65, - whose wife is 44 - is an American industrialist and businessman,
worth an estimated $2.7 billion. He is also a major art collector and
avid horseman.
Brant said on Wednesday that Harry's
father and grandfather were good players and he was excited to watch
Harry play at his club.
Lunch date: Kurkova said beside Prince Harry as they lunched at the Sentebale Polo Cup
Fans: Amanda Hearst, left, and Olivia Palermo, right, were among the guests at the polo event
'It's a great honor,' he said. 'It's great for polo.'
When
he welcomed the prince into his home for a brief art tour ahead of the
game, Harry was confronted with a naked sculpture of his host's wife.
The piece, commissioned by Mr Brant from
the artist Maurizio Cattelan, shows a naked woman's torso in the style
of a ship's figurehead, clutching her breasts. It is entitled Stephanie,
although often known by its nickname of Trophy Wife.
After arriving just after 11.30am,
the prince was given a tour of the polo club before joining the
high-profile guests at a meet and greet before the game in an undercover
bar area.
The staff had also set up a marquee bedecked with flowers and tables laid out, appropriately, with royal blue cloths for lunch.
Royal good time: Prince Harry plays in the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup at Greenwich, Connecticut
Picking up the pace: Harry races ahead during the match watched by high-profile and wealthy guests
At ease: Harry shares a joke with his fellow players at the club in Greenwich on Wednesday afternoon
Clash: Harry takes a swing during the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup, watched by models and designers
Mane man: Harry took part in the polo match during a fundraiser for his charity helping children in Africa
At play: Harry, an accomplished polo player, will spend his last day in Connecticut before returning home
Located
in leafy Connecticut, Greenwich is one of the wealthiest pockets of the
US, filled with hedge fund millionaires and their trophy wives.
Unlike
previous royal polo events, tickets for the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo
Cup, one of the highlights of the international calendar, are not
available for sale.
Sponsors,
who include Royal Salute whisky, Land Rover, Garrards jewellery and St
Regis Hotels, have each bought a number of tables to which they invite
select guests.
The guests included the 13th Duke of
Argyll, fashionista Olivia Palermo, model Karolina Kurkova and designers
Jason Wu and Valentino.
'Is the sun coming out?' Kurkova asked as she posed in a light rain.
End of a busy week: Prince Harry arrives at the
Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup at Greenwich, Connecticut on Wednesday
to take part in a match after a busy week traveling throughout the
United States
Admirer: Harry chats with a female fan as he arrives at the polo club, ahead of his taking part in a charity match
Royal welcome: Prince Harry talks to Peter Brant, the owner of Greenwich Polo Club prior to the match
Guests
at the polo dined on grilled peppered fillet of beef, served with an
arugla and spring vegetable salad and crispy warm panisse, followed by
vanilla bean creme brule, mixed berry trifle, Lemon Curd tart with mixed
berries and truffle brownie squares.
Just 400 seats were available in all,
however, making it literally the hottest ticket in a town, with dozens
of elegantly-coiffured ladies – both young and old - trying to beg,
borrow or steal an invite.
At
the Greenwich branch of the English-Speaking Union, which promotes
English language and culture, Natalie Pray, the president, has been
fielding calls from its 300 members, some blatantly offering cash for
tickets to see the prince play, according to the New York Times.
Peter
Orthwein, the chief executive of Thor Industries, who is a founding
member of the Polo Club admitted the prince’s visit had caused a stir.
Getting ready: Harry walks across the polo field with Peter Brant, founder of the Greenwich Polo Club
Big game: He is competing to benefit Sentebale, the charity he co-founded to help poor children in Lesotho
Pre-game nerves? Harry walks with polo player Nacho Figueras from Argentina before they play
Warm up: Prince Harry was spotted chatting with his teammates ahead of the big game on Wednesday
Mr Orthwein said since he had bought a
table for lunch his wife had been inundated with phone calls from
friends – mostly women – offering enduring friendship in return for a
seat.
In a speech shortly before the match,
Harry talked at length about the work of Sentebale in the tiny
landlocked kingdom of Lesotho where Aids is rife.
He said: 'Whilst Sentebale may be evolving rapidly, the situation on the ground in Lesotho remains critical.
'The
HIV pandemic continues to leave thousands of children without parents
and family structures to guide them through life. Without this support,
basic needs such as food, shelter and care remain unmet, leaving
children vulnerable and very often without much hope in their lives.'
Address: Prince Harry speaks at the Greenwich Polo Club to thank the guests for attending for the charity
Guests: The Duke of Argyll and model Karolina Kurkova arrive on the red carpet for the polo event
Model guests: Fashionista Olivia Palermo is joined at the exclusive event by model boyfriend Johannes Huebl
Special invite: Actress Amber Hearst, left, and designer Jason Wu, right, were also among the guests
Art: Harry was greeted by this bust of the owner's model wife, Stephanie Seymour, at the home (file pic)
And he concluded by commenting about his
extraordinarily successful tour of the US, saying: 'This is the last
day of my tour around the United States. Thank you for a wonderful
week. I have witnessed the extraordinary generosity of the people of
this great Nation.'
Harry’s visit promised a lighter tone
than his stop the previous day in New Jersey, where he toured two shore
communities devastated by Superstorm Sandy.
The prince said he was impressed to see “everyone getting together and making things right.”
He also spent Tuesday in New York City at events promoting tourism, entrepreneurism and philanthropy.
Harry, who recently returned from
duty as an Apache helicopter pilot, will fly back to the UK tonight just
hours after the match has ended to resume his military duties in the
Army Air Corps.
Ahead of the party: Model Karolina Kurkova greets and poses with designer Valentino at the polo day
Battling the elements: Model Jessica Stam dodges the rain at the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup day
Lucky ladies: Hayley Bloomingdale, pictured
center, was one of the lucky guests who snagged a ticket. She shared her
excitement on social networking sites as well as pictures of Harry
Relaxing with the stars: Women from the Greenwich Riding Trails take in the polo on Wednesday