Prince Harry grew up playing polo, but his late mother, Princess Diana, was not a fan of the sport.
The late Princess of Wales’s opinion of the horseback-ridden sport – usually played by the upper echelons of society – has been revisited after Harry revealed plans for a Netflix documentary about it.
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith talks about Diana’s disdain for a favourite hobby of husband King Charles, saying in her newsletter: “Diana came to detest the game, which she considered rough and boring.”
The then-Prince Charles spent a lot of his time on the field, which he considered an “escape” from the stresses of life, says Ms Bedell Smith.
But, for Diana it was quite the opposite: she felt neglected and became resentful, feeling she had to schedule Prince William’s birth around Charles’s polo schedule, according to the royal biographer.
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At the time, Diana allegedly said: “Charles could get off his polo pony for me to give birth. That was very nice, felt very grateful about that!”
Charles would play up to four matches a week, but pulled back in 1992, due to back issues. He would still play exhibition matches, but in 2005, he gave up the game completely.
Both Prince William and Prince Harry were introduced to the sport by their father.
“When their father had to quit, both sons carried on the charitable tradition he created and raised millions for their own causes,” says Ms Bedell Smith.
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Harry is now taking his love of polo and making it into a Netflix TV series.
Production began last summer, but a premiere date has yet to be announced.
Ms Bedell Smith believes the series could be “enriched” by showing “how Harry’s own family has been involved with polo for more than a century”.
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