Cartier Polo: Prince Harry and his then girlfriend Chelsy Davy attended in 2006, which royals will go in 2023?

Without question, the French luxury goods brand Cartier exudes sophistication and opulence, so when you pair it with polo, it is a match made in heaven. Named after the late Queen Elizabeth 11, the Queen’s Cup is a 22-goal polo tournament that is held annually every May to June and takes place at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor, Berkshire, conveniently located for the royal family.

Society bible Tatler describes it as “There is perhaps no summer event as glamorous as the Cartier Queen’s Cup Polo. Taking place annually at the Guard’s Polo Club since 1960, it sees the Royal Family from (her late) Majesty (who traditionally presents the winner with the Cup) to the Prince of Wales (now King Charles), Prince William (now Prince of Wales) to Princess Beatrice and Eugenie-rubbing shoulders with the great and good of high society, from Sabine Getty and Lady Kitty Spencer, to Jemima Goldsmith and Tamara Beckwith Veroni.”

Over the years, the late Queen Elizabeth 11 was a regular face at the Cartier’s Queen Cup as she presented the winning trophy. In 2008, King Charles, the then Prince of Wales, attended the event as his mother was absent on that occasion. Other celebrities at the event included Natalie Imbruglia, and actress Emma Watson.

The key day for the Cartier Queen’s Cup when it comes to attracting an A-list crowd is of course on finals day on the 18 June, it is not known as yet if any of the senior royals are set to attend. Both King Charles and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry have played polo over the years. 

In 2022, Catherine, Princess of Wales cheered her husband, Prince William on in the Royal Charity Polo Cup in Windsor. Prince William has previously played in charity polo matches with his brother, Prince Harry.

Prince Harry attended the Cartier Polo back in 2006 with his then-girlfriend, Chelsy Davy. When he took to the stand in his recent lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), he claimed that press intrusion led to his relationship ending with Chelsy. In his statement, he said: “We were never on our own and able to enjoy each other's company away from the prying eyes of the tabloids. This put a huge amount of unnecessary stress and strain on our relationship.”

 As for which royals might attend the Cartier Polo in 2023, there have been no names confirmed as yet, but potential attendees could include Princess Beatrice and Zara Tindall.