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Photo by Sion Fullana
New York, your blue blood is showing. When Britain’s Prince Harry showed up to play polo at Governors Island on Sunday for the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic, one observer commented, “I haven’t seen this many blue jackets since my Uncle Joe’s funeral.” Even the players were spiffed up: Black Watch team captain (and Ralph Lauren model) Nacho Figueras was wearing, in his words, “[Ralph Lauren] Polo, head to toe. Makes sense.” Ladies wore spectacular hats that haven’t seen the light of day since, oh, the Preakness Stakes three weeks ago—all the better to shade polo fans from the sun.
Two halves of New York flanked the polo pitch, where Prince Harry’s Sentebale team faced Figueras’s Black Watch crew. Sentebale is a charity started by His Royalness in honor of his mother, helping orphans in Lesotho; proceeds from the day’s event went to the organization. On one side, there was free access, with two seating risers filled with picnickers enjoying the isle’s opening day and the second polo match to be held on Governors Island since 1941. One trio of polo fans, dressed in all black-and-white, put on a three-course champagne picnic in true Oscar Wilde splendor. “I figured, why don’t we do a little tailgating?” said one in the party. “For champagne, the trick is using foods that are low in acidity,” like popcorn and potato chips, he said.
Directly opposite under white tents and yellow Veuve Clicquot umbrellas, tickets started at $500 for a pair (champers included), going all the way up to $50,000 for a ten-person table in the super-VIP area. The hats were a little more ridiculous on the glitzy side, but the view of the polo ponies was about the same. Stars like Kate Hudson, Chloë Sevigny and LL Cool J mostly stayed in the shade, though both the VIPs and hoi polloi came out for the traditional stomping of the divots after two chukkers (periods). Of course, it was the “free” audience that turned the Pretty Woman–ish pastime into a Frisbee game on the polo pitch.
In the last minutes of the match, a tie looked likely until Sentebale scored with an assist by Prince Harry, giving them a 6-5 win. As one ferry pulled away from the island, polo spectators got a view of Madonna and entourage (including at least two tykes) boarding an Ikea Manhattan water taxi—hey, even Madge could do with a few Bestå Enön storage units. It was followed by the sight of a helicopter over Manhattan, reported to be Marine One, carrying America’s own royalty, the Obamas, who were coming to Manhattan for a date night about as low-key as a princely polo match.—Allison Williams
Click here for plenty of pics from the Veuve Clicquot.
