No Trouble With Harry
British Prince Charms Madge and Co. as Polo Comes to NYC
Saturday afternoon's Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic—the centerpiece of Prince Harry's first official visit to the U.S.—came off better than any royal scriptwriter could have wished. The sun poured down on Governors Island off the tip of Manhattan; the prince, who a source assures us had been successfully dissuaded from hitting the town with his fellow polo players the night before, won over all and sundry with his demeanor on and off the field; and there was even a cameo appearance by American royalty when pop queen Madonna showed up halfway through the match.
Before lunch, His Royal Highness, flanked by a small army of security guards, glad-handed the likes of LL Cool J and Marc Jacobs and gave a self-deprecating speech. "I'll probably fall off," he joked, then made the case for the afternoon's benefitee: Sentebale, a charity for at-risk children in the southern African kingdom of Lesotho. As it turned out, Prince Harry handled himself admirably during play, setting up the game-winning goal in the final seconds. That makes him two-for-two lifetime against heartthrob Nacho Figueras, who was captaining the opposing Black Watch team. "He's very good," the Argentine polo pro and Ralph Lauren model noted, before hosing his opponent down with Champagne on the awards podium. Prince Harry responded by spraying a mouthful of bubbly the South American's way. The winners also received Piaget Polo FortyFive watches for their pains.
As is traditional at these things, guests spent at least as much time checking each other out as watching the horseback action. Alek Wek, Hilary Rhoda, and an almost unrecognizable, dark-haired Kate Hudson donned sun hats for the occasion, while Madonna, who came with a party that included photographer Steven Klein, boy toy Jesus Luz, and her Malawian son, David, opted for a tweed trilby. Chloë Sevigny, in a flower-bedecked boater, confessed it was more about just having a royally good old time in the sun. Indicating her pal Christopher Bollen of Interview magazine, she said, "We're both scared of horses."
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