Prince Harry and Nacho Figueras put on brotherly display in Florida

• Duke of Sussex is said to have met his polo player pal Nacho Figueras in 2007 
• Read More: Inside Meghan Markle’s warm relationship with Nacho Figueras, his wife Delfina Blaquier and their daughter Alba

Prince Harry may have been feuding with Prince William over the last few years – but there is one close friend who appears to have filled the hole his brother left in his life.

Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Figueras, 47, from Argentina, was one of the first people to meet the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son Archie in 2019 and has become a vocal supporter of the royal couple in recent years.

The father-of-four plays polo with Prince Harry every year during his annual Sentebale match and has previously said he would ‘defend his friends’ with his life during an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show in September 2019.

On Friday, Nacho and Harry looked as chummy as ever at the Duke’s annual charity polo match, which took place at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club this year.

Prince Harry and Nacho also appeared deep in conversation in Palm Beach yesterday while filming scenes for the Duke’s upcoming polo Netflix series.

Here FEMAIL takes a look back over Prince Harry and Nacho’s ‘brotherly’ friendship over the past two decades.

While they may appear to come from different worlds, it is their shared love of polo which has pulled them into a close friendship.

Speaking to Hello! following their most recent match, Nacho said of his close friend: ‘It was always Harry’s dream and passion to share with the world, what it takes to be a really competitive polo player and show polo at the highest level.

‘I cannot think of many people that can be better than him to be the kickoff of this storytelling.’

The pair travelled to Tokyo together in August 2023 as part of their ongoing work with Sentebale and playfully posed for a photo wearing aviator sunglasses. Nacho captioned the Instagram post: ‘Shopping for our wives!’

Harry and Nacho have long enjoyed a playful relationship – and the Duke was pictured playfully spitting a mouthful of champagne at the polo player following a charity polo match in the noughties.

Nacho – who has been dubbed the ‘David Beckham of Polo’ – was also among a handful of the Duke and Duchess’s closest confidantes who appeared in the couple’s Netflix documentary in 2022.

As a result, it has been speculated that Nacho and his glamorous wife Delfina Blaquier could be regulars in two Netflix series due to be launched by Harry and Meghan as part of their $100 million (£80 million) deal with the streaming giant.

While visiting Tokyo with Prince Harry in August, the pair posed for this playful photo – with Nacho captioning it on Instagram: ‘Shopping for our wives’

Paying tribute to Harry on Instagram, Nacho previously wrote: ‘I have been fortunate enough to spend enough time over the years to learn and understand the man he really is, a kind, generous, compassionate person… it is truly inspiring.

‘I am honoured to be your friend and let’s keep fighting because if we all fight together love always wins.’

In September 2019, Nacho – who witnessed the early days of the couple’s romance and was later a guest at their wedding – appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’ show to announce that he would ‘defend his friends’ with his life.

The millionaire later told Town and Country magazine: ‘What I like the most about [Harry] is how real he is and how serious he is about improving life for kids that have not had the blessings that we’ve had.’

He also described Meghan as ‘incredible’ and praised the former actress for ‘giving up everything for the man she loves’ in the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary.

During the Harry & Meghan docuseries, Nacho also revealed how the prince confided in him after sharing a first date with Meghan.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex seen with polo player Nacho Figueras during a recent Sentebale polo match

He described how him and his wife, Delfina Blaquier, went for dinner with Harry shortly after the prince met his future wife in 2017.

Nacho said: ‘He looked at us and said ”guys, I met a girl, we’ve just met but I think this might be the one”. You could tell right away that those eyes were those of someone who’d fallen in love.’

Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nacho started playing the game at the ripe age of nine years old after his father introduced him to the sport.

He became a professional polo player by the time he was just 17. After a stint in Europe, he ended up at the White Birch Polo Team based in Bridgehampton, New York.

Described by Tatler as ‘the David Beckham of Polo’ he now holds a 6-goal handicap and an estimated net worth of $30 million and has been modelling for Ralph Lauren since 2000.

But modelling was never the goal for the athlete, who began his career just to earn some extra cash and bring more attention to his beloved sport.

His career took off when he was approached by photographer Bruce Weber at a party in The Hamptons hosted by Calvin Klein’s ex-wife Kelly, who encouraged him to get his start in modelling.

Score! Nacho congratulates Prince Harry after scoring during the Sentebale Handa Polo Cup charity match in Rome; pictured May 2019

Prince Harry seen playfully spitting champagne in Nacho’s direction at the Sentebale charity polo match before the Duke met Meghan

While that avenue of his career has introduced his objectively handsome face into everyday homes via glossy fashion magazines and television commercials, the game of polo has always been his true passion.

He and Harry have been playing alongside each other in charity matches for the past decade, ultimately moving them to becoming close friends.

Both Prince Harry and Nacho regularly play in Sentebale’s charity matches to raise funds for Sentebale, an organisation co-founded by Prince Harry that supports children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa.

Charity is another common interest for Nacho and the Duke, with the polo player actively praising the royal over the years for his work.

The two men have bonded over their love for polo, their life as fathers and their ongoing charity work (pictured, in 217 in Singapore)

Nacho has been to Lesotho with Prince Harry three times, most recently opening the Mamohato Centre together in 2015.

He said the charity, of which he is an ambassador, remained ‘incredibly close to our hearts’.

He also revealed that Prince Harry was ‘the first one to wake up’ during their trips to Lesotho, and was always up to date with the goings-on.

Nacho said that the Duke would often point out things which should be fixed, as well as asking for updates on equipment.

Along with forming a special friendship with Prince Harry, the game of polo also brought him to his wife Delfina Blaquier, the daughter of an Argentinian polo player.

The pair first met, fittingly, at a polo match in Buenos Aires in 1997. They started dating in early 1998 and welcomed their first son in 2000, and wed in December 2005.

The couple now has four children together: Hilario; Aurora; Artemo; and Alba.

A royal affair: the couple posed at St. George Chapel to celebrate the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle, their close friends; pictured May 2018

Best pals: Nacho and Prince Harry at the 2018 Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup, with Meghan Markle and Delfina walking behind them; pictured in July 2018

Supporting Harry: Nacho Figueras attend the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup in Rome, a charity co-founded by the prince; pictured in May 2019

Fatherhood is another topic which he is believed to have bonded with the Duke of Sussex over.

Shortly after his son Archie was born, Nacho praised the as an ‘amazing’ parent and said he is ‘very, very happy’ about fatherhood.

He said: ‘He seems to be really, really happy so I’m very happy and excited for him.

‘I’ve been saying this for a long time, he’s a person that loves children.

‘I’ve seen him interact with children for a very long time in all these things that we do in Africa so I’m not surprised he’s an amazing father.’

A brotherhood: The Duke played with Nacho in a polo match mere days after his son Archie Harrison was born in 2019

Nacho, who is a vocal supporter of the Sussexes, and Prince Harry have long appeared close and tactile in their friendship

The polo player unveiled his fragrance line in 2019 on Instagram, with one of the perfumes named ‘Windsor’

And the pair have remained close despite Prince Harry stepping back from royal duty! Prince Harry and Nacho are pictured here hugging at Aspen Valley Polo Club on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021

Known as one of the most recognisable players in the world, he has actively spoken out to defend Harry and Meghan over the years.

The father-of-four is an ambassador for Sentebale, an organisation founded by the prince which is dedicated to helping children and young people who or whose families suffer with HIV and Aids in Lesotho.

During the interview he also described Meghan as ‘incredible’, and revealed how she ‘gave up everything for the man she loves’.

He also a selection of six fragrances, including one named ‘Windsor’, which hinted at a ‘brotherhood of kindred spirits’ with the Duke.

And earlier this week, he shared a post praising the Duke on Instagram, writing: ‘What a joy to see you smile and be so happy. I love being your teammate.’

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