Each year at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, held at Liberty State Park in New Jersey and framed by sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, polo player Nacho Figueras and his wife, Delfina Blaquier, take the field to play for a starry crowd; this year’s attendees included Jennifer Lawrence, Michael B. Jordan, Julianne Moore, and Gayle King. But Figueras and Blaquier recently met with an even more famous friend, perhaps the youngest internationally famous person alive: baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, newborn son of their close friends Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Figueras and Harry recently played polo together, but that wasn’t the first time they had seen each other since Archie’s birth. “I met the baby in London before playing polo with him in Rome, and he was very good with the baby. He’s a natural, he knows what to do,” Figueras said during the red-carpet arrivals at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. “He’s already an amazing father. He’s always loved kids. We have been friends for a very long time and I’ve seen him spend time with children in all the things we do for Sentebale, so I never had a doubt about it. He loves children. He’s really happy.”
The polo match in Rome was the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup, which raises money for Sentebale, a charity cofounded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2016 that supports kids affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. The trip to Italy marked Harry’s first night away from Archie and Meghan since their son was born. Like any parent of a newborn, Blaquier said the royal was having a little bit of separation anxiety.
“He couldn’t wait to go back to his family. He missed his son,“ said Blaquier, also a fashion designer for the clothing brand Àcheval Pampa. “He had a day to help out the kids from Lesotho and from Sentable, and he donated his precious time. It was very important to him to be there and he wanted to do it even though was going to be away from his family. That’s so generous of him and so amazing. When he finished, he went straight back to his family.”
Figueras and Blaquier have known Harry for over a decade and become close friends. They have played alongside him in numerous polo matches and were in St. George’s chapel when Harry and Meghan tied the knot last year. Since attending the wedding and now seeing him as a dad, Blaquier says Harry has a deeper understanding of love.
“I think he’s even happier. He found love with Meghan and now they have an amazing family together,” she said. “He’s thrilled about being a father. I felt the instant love he has. We are humans and there’s this feeling of love and instincts that pop in us when we have children for the first time. I can say that for myself when I had my son when I was 19. The minute I had him, I felt the instant love, and I can see that in Harry. That love pops for everybody and he has that greater love now. Family is very important to him and it has been something he has wanted.”
Now that Prince Harry is married and has a child, don’t expect his polo game to suffer. Both Figueras and Blaquier say he remains a fierce and assertive polo player that likes to win.
“He’s still very competitive! When he’s on the field, he always gives it 110 percent,” said Blaquier. “He knows how to push people’s buttons a little bit. He’s very witty and a fun guy. He comes up with things and says really funny things. He’s so much fun to play with and to play against.”
She adds, “Even though he’s competitive, he has such a wonderful spirit. He’s happy to see his friends and he roots for you. He loves to be out in the field and wants you to enjoy the day with everyone. He has a big heart and this will make him an amazing father.“
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