Prince Harry may have moved to a whole different continent, but that doesn't mean he's leaving behind all of his favorite English traditions.
Thankfully for the Duke of Sussex, there are polo matches he can participate in in Southern California, meaning he doesn't have to give up on his longtime sport practice.
In his first public sighting after returning to the U.S. from the Jubilee celebrations in England, Harry was photographed playing the sport with his local team, Los Padres, in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County, on June 10. This comes after he played a match at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club back in May.
But polo isn't just a sport for the royal: It's also a passion he's shared with his dad Prince Charles and older brother Prince William since he was a little kid. Considering how frosty relations seem to be between Harry and his family these days, it feels significant that he is leaning into this activity they so clearly have in common while being physically separated from them.
"Prince Harry has played polo all his life, so it's not surprising he has opted to continue the sport in California," royal expert Kerry Parnell tells Marie Claire.
"He has given up so much of his former life, but his passion for polo is clear from the recent photos of him on—and even off—horseback.
"In fact, you could say it's a fitting metaphor for his new life—after returning to the U.K. for the Platinum Jubilee, he's back in the saddle and galloping into his future."
While in the U.K., it's fair to say the prince won't have felt particularly welcome—he didn't spend any alone time with the Duke of Cambridge, and only got 15 minutes with the Queen. Maybe playing polo is his way to feel close to his family in that way.
