Inside The Relationship Between The Sussexes And Nacho Figueras' Family
If you mention Nacho Figueras to a casual observer, they might shrug their shoulders and say, "Who?" The handsome Argentine polo player — dubbed the "David Beckham of polo" — has posed for Ralph Lauren campaigns and made a guest appearance on "Gossip Girl." But make no mistake, his real work is on the field. As Figueras told CNN, "I'm not a model, I'm a polo player."
If you're a fan of the royal family, you'll certainly recognize him as one of Prince Harry's best friends. The pair have become exceptionally close since they first met many years ago, and they've gotten even closer in the years since the Sussexes fled the United Kingdom for sunnier weather and left damaged relationships in their wake. After the breakdown of his relationship with Prince William, it's not surprising Harry would be looking for a brother figure in his life, and it appears he has found that in Figueras.
Not only that but Figueras' wife Delfina Blaquier and Meghan Markle get along incredibly well and the families have become a tight-knit group, as spectators saw at a recent polo match. Figueras and his wife even received a pot of Meghan's new jam from her brand American Riviera Orchard, which he shared on Instagram; truly the epitome of friendship in the influencer sphere.
Nacho Figueras and Prince Harry met in 2007
Nacho Figueras and Prince Harry forged a friendship in 2007, uniting over their shared passion for polo and horses, the Argentine athlete told People. Figueras further cemented his friendship with the royal when he became an ambassador for Harry's charity Sentebale and traveled to Lesotho with the prince several times for their philanthropic endeavors.
In the interest of friendship and raising money for Sentebale, Figueras and his wife, Delfina Blaquier, created a fragrance line with six different scents representing meaningful places to them, and Windsor made the cut. A portion of the profit from the collection goes to Harry's charity, with Figueras telling Town & Country that among the many reasons they started the line, one of those was that they wanted to do something philanthropic.
Nacho Figueras only has great things to say about Prince Harry, telling the publication, "What I like the most about him 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 added that Harry is always the first one awake when they visit Lesotho and is fully involved in the goings-on. Figueras also made it clear that the donations are not only economical but bring awareness to Sentebale, calling Harry an "incredible man."
Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier were guests at Harry and Meghan's wedding
It feels like an entire lifetime ago, but back in 2018 when things appeared happier in the royal family — at least on the surface — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were walking down the aisle and riding along in a carriage like a Disney prince and his bride. The massive event was watched worldwide, and only a select group of lucky people received invitations; George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, and the cast of "Suits" were among them. Nacho Figueras and his wife Delfina Blaquier were two of the lucky winners with the golden tickets. They not only received a highly coveted invitation to the ceremony but they were invited to the exclusive evening reception, too.
However, Figueras made a major blunder when he posted about the event on social media, something all guests were allegedly told not to do. Figueras posted a photo of the wedding invitation along with a Ralph Lauren fragrance, and a tuxedo. The invitation read, "M & H, Saturday 19th May 2018, Frogmore House. Information to the Evening Celebrations" (via the Daily Mail). Presumably, the pro polo player must have received a scolding for his misjudged social media move as the post was later deleted.
A few weeks after the nuptials, Figueras commented on the wedding while attending a polo match, saying "It was a historic moment. I was happy to be there for my friend's wedding to support him" (via Vanity Fair).
Nacho Figueras defended the Sussexes on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2019
Loyalty is probably the top word within the House of Windsor, and if you're royal, it's incredibly hard to find friends you can trust. Nobody wants a fake friend who sells pictures of you in compromising positions to tabloids (we all remember Prince Harry's Las Vegas escapades). Nacho Figueras is one such loyal friend, and he's been one of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's biggest cheerleaders in the public sphere.
In an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2019, Figueras spoke about his friendship with the Sussexes. The talk show host credited him with introducing her to Prince Harry and his wife, and even claimed she fully supported the pair after they decided to step back from the royal family and move to the U.S. Figueras responded, saying he had been friends with Harry for 12 or 13 years and had seen it all happen right in front of his eyes. He praised him for being a "wonderful man" as well as "someone that really cares" about children, and "making the world a better place."
He had kind words about Meghan as well, telling DeGeneres that she gave up a lot to marry the man she loves and despite people thinking it looked easy, they don't know about all the difficulties that come with it. He concluded by calling them "heroes."
Nacho Figueras' wife has a cute nickname for Meghan Markle
It appears as if Delfina Blaquier and Meghan Markle have a friendship of their own beyond being mere acquaintances due to their husbands Prince Harry and Nacho Figueras. In June 2022, Blaquier posted a photo on Instagram of her and Meghan watching Harry and Figueras playing polo. They were both clad in shorts and enjoying the sunshine as they smiled wide and chatted, clearly photographed without realizing it. Blaquier referred to Meghan and Harry by the nicknames they reserve for each other, "M" and "H."
Furthermore, Meghan Markle and Delfina Blaquier have their own nicknames for each other. "I wish everyone new [sic] you the way you are. My sister, my now fellow 'pwife' (polo wife) -genius of you to come up with this," Blaquier wrote on Instagram.
The Argentine socialite later alluded to how close she and Meghan were, saying she couldn't wait for them to share more hikes, and just chill together. Blaquier made it clear that she and Figueras were fully supportive of the Sussexes, telling Meghan she had her respect and to "keep walking, steady and strong." Meghan's fellow polo wife concluded her post, "Can't be possible, that this is the only #pwife picture we have together Vamos #LosPadresPoloTeam !!!" In April 2024, Blaquier shared an Instagram photo of the foursome at a polo match in Wellington, Florida supporting Prince Harry's charity Sentebale.
Nacho Figueras and Prince Harry often play in charity polo matches for Sentebale
Since Nacho Figueras is an ambassador for Prince Harry's charity Sentebale, the pair often play polo together to raise money for young people in Lesotho and Botswana. In August 2023, the two men played on opposing teams in Singapore for the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup. Harry played on the Royal Salute Team while Figueras was the captain of the Singapore Polo Club team, and fortunately for the competitive friends, the match ended in a 7-7 tie.
In April 2024, on a warm day in Wellington, Florida, Meghan Markle handed her husband the trophy after his team was victorious during the Royal Salute Sentebale Polo Challenge, beating Nacho Figueras' team, the Grand Champions, in a 3-1 final. As reported by The Palm Beach Post, when Meghan walked by two other members of Harry's team to bring him the trophy and offer him a kiss, he hilariously pointed to himself and said, "Me?"
Despite the loss, Figueras was clearly happy with the money raised, saying, "It's always good to be with him doing what he loves, which is playing polo, for a cause that we love." Despite losing to Harry, Figueras only had good things to say about the prince and his skills on the polo field. "He's a very good rider, he's a very good athlete, he has great hand-eye coordination. He's very competitive. It's always fun to share the field with him," the polo player admitted.
Nacho Figueras admires how Prince Harry has embraced parenthood
Nacho Figueras has sung his praises for Prince Harry more times than we can count. Not only has the polo player defended Harry and Meghan Markle for leaving the U.K., but he also boasted about Prince Harry's role as a father.
In an exclusive interview with People in April 2024, the "David Beckham of polo" gushed, "Prince Harry is doing very well, and I admire how he has fully embraced fatherhood over the past couple of years." He added that Harry "loves being a dad" and went on to say he admires the prince as a parent, and how much he enjoys parenthood.
Not one to leave out Meghan Markle, Figueras made sure to mention that Prince Harry has a "great and supportive wife." Clearly, Figueras is a big fan of the Sussexes and happy to see his friend doing so well. The Argentine also appeared to relate to Harry when it came to things they were passionate about, telling People, "His passion for family matches his passion for polo, which is what first drew me to him when we met years ago."
Nacho Figueras appeared in Harry and Meghan's 2022 Netflix documentary
The 2022 Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan" caused an earthquake across Buckingham Palace and the media, as if the rockets they fired during the Oprah Winfrey interview the year before weren't enough. Being an interviewee in the documentary was more exclusive than their royal wedding, and Nacho Figueras was one of a handful of people chosen to speak.
For Sussex fans eager to get a glimpse into Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's initial days together, Figueras did not disappoint. He detailed the first time Harry mentioned his new girlfriend to him and his wife Delfina Blaquier and apparently, the prince was as excited as we all imagined. Figueras described a dinner with Harry in 2017 right after he had met Meghan, saying, "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."
During the Royal Salute Sentebale Polo Challenge in Florida in April 2024, a film crew was on site shooting Harry's Netflix show about polo, another passion project of the prince's in which Figueras is reportedly extremely supportive. "When I see Prince Harry delve into Sentebale, it makes me want to support him and his other projects even more," Figueras told People.
Nacho Figueras and Prince Harry have a fun and playful relationship
Prince Harry appears to have a playful relationship with many people, and his bromance with Nacho Figueras is certainly one of them. The pair are often seen joking around and laughing together while competing on the polo field, but also when they're not on horseback. In August 2023, they both flew to Tokyo for the ISPS Sports Values Summit-Special Edition summit and later played a polo match in Singapore to support Sentebale.
Despite their busy schedule in Japan, the pair managed to find some time for goofing around, as evidenced by Figueras' Instagram post in which he and Harry pose in aviator sunglasses with their arms crossed. In the caption he joked, "Shopping for our wives." He went on to thank Tokyo for their hospitality, and for supporting Sentebale.
In another funny Instagram post, Figueras posted a shot of himself looking like somewhat of a third wheel as he tried to pass Prince Harry a trophy after a polo match, but the prince was too busy kissing his wife Meghan Markle to notice anything else. Figueras sweetly praised their relationship, writing in the caption, "When you wished the trophy would turn into a violin. What an incredible love story."
Nacho Figueras hopes Prince Harry's children will one day play polo
Nacho Figueras clearly hopes his friendship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will go the distance as he has high hopes for their children when it comes to his chosen sport, polo. When the Argentine was asked in an interview with Hello! if he hoped his children would play polo against the Sussex children, he responded, "I really hope so, I hope that Archie and Lili get to love horses as much as he does."
Despite the children being so young, it hasn't stopped Figueras from daydreaming about everyone playing polo in the future. "Hopefully that love and passion will be transmitted," he said. "I know my kids love it and they love to play. It would be a dream that one day we all get to play polo together."
Figueras alluded to the fact that he doesn't often see Prince Harry, at least for polo practice, but they do get the chance to "speak very often." Of course, he was also asked which of the pair was most competitive, and he claimed it was both of them, but did make sure to conclude with the fact that during charity polo matches, "it's Sentebale that wins and that's what we're all here for."
Delfina Blaquier praised Meghan Markle in a 2022 interview
While the bromance between Prince Harry and Nacho Figueras is most often reported on, their wives Meghan Markle and Delfina Blaquier have become extremely close as well. Just as Figueras has stepped in to publicly defend Prince Harry at every chance he gets, Blaquier has done the same for Meghan. In August 2022, the Argentine socialite spoke to Hello! at the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup and only had good things to say about her friend. Proving she's a total girl's girl, Blaquier told the publication, "She is so wonderful and strong. Stronger than she knows. I love being around my friends, and I will always support her."
Of course, her husband had to jump in and once again praise his friends as well, adding, "I have known him for so long and he has always wanted someone to love and marry and have a family with, so it makes me so happy to see them happy and with two beautiful children." Figueras and his wife are constantly saying great things about the Sussexes, proving they are the truest and most loyal friends. Seriously, where can we get these?
During the April 2024 polo match for Sentebale, Blaquier and Meghan were seen in an incredibly warm embrace, showing how close they have become as friends. Meghan also reserved hugs for Figueras and Blaquier's daughter Alba, clearly happy to see each other after a long time apart (via the Daily Mail).