Prince Harry 'suffers hand injury' during polo match in Aspen
Prince Harry was reportedly clipped in the hand with a mallet while playing polo
Prince Harry sustained a minor hand injury during the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship on this week in Aspen, Colorado, according to reports.
The Duke of Sussex was reportedly accidentally “clipped” by a swinging mallet belonging to one of the sons of his long-time friend and teammate, Nacho Figueras.
The incident occurred mid-game, but Harry was reportedly unfazed.
Prince Harry ‘suffers hand injury’ during polo match
“They paused for a second, and he shook it off,” a witness reportedly told Page Six.
Despite the brief hiccup, Harry continued playing, though his team ultimately lost the match.
In photos posted online from the event, the duke wore a bright blue sweater, white trousers, a black helmet, and sunglasses.
Harry’s presence at the championship was not publicly announced in advance, and onlookers were reportedly caught off guard by the royal arrival.
“No one knew he was coming,” the source apparently added.
Royal Insider has contacted reps for Harry for comment.
He had already participated in a match the day before and was spotted skiing with Figueras ahead of the tournament, making the most of his winter getaway.
While Meghan Markle did not travel to Aspen, she made her support known online. The duchess shared a photo of Harry playing polo on her Instagram story with the cheeky caption: “Oh, hello there.”
Meghan is believed to have stayed home in California with the couple’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Prince Harry’s solo trip to Aspen
Prince Harry is no stranger to polo. He’s participated in numerous charity matches over the years and has even ventured into storytelling around the sport, serving as executive producer of the Netflix docuseries Polo.
This week’s championship saw Harry play alongside Figueras and his sons Artemo and Hilario.
Meanwhile, royal watchers were quick to pick up on another unexpected detail during the match. Harry was introduced to the crowd as “Harry Wales”, a name he hasn’t used publicly in years.
This sparked confusion among royal fans. Many assumed that Harry now uses “Sussex” as his surname, especially following Meghan’s reference to the family name earlier this year.
“‘Harry Wales’? Did I just hear that correctly? I thought it was Sussex?” one fan questioned on social media.
Another commented: “He hasn’t been called that since he was in school or the military. Odd.”
The name “Wales” was previously used by both Harry and Prince William during their time in the military, in reference to their father’s title at the time, the Prince of Wales.
“I think it was a simple mistake,” Harry’s team told Royal Insider. “The Duke was not at all bothered.”
Prince Harry is expected to return home to California in time for Christmas celebrations with Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet.
Read more: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce major name change to their Archewell Foundation
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