Meghan Markle’s New Netflix Series Aims to Make Polo More Accessible

Traditionally, polo has been seen as a sport for the wealthy due to its high costs, making it out of reach for many people with average incomes. Meghan Markle wanted to change this perception by creating a series that showcases the sport in a more approachable way.

After the release of the series, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are now focusing on the upcoming Holidays and have invited Princess Eugenie to join them in their celebrations. The couple continues to prioritize spending time with family and creating lasting memories together.

Harry and Meghan recently released their Netflix series “Polo,” a five-part docuseries following the sport’s U.S. Open, which took place in Wellington, FL, earlier this year and is co-produced by their production company Archewell.

According to People Magazine, executive producer and showrunner Miloš Balać said Meghan’s idea behind the series was to make the elite equestrian sport “more accessible” to a wider audience, adding that the couple had a true “vision” for bringing it all together.

“They were wonderful. They were extremely hands-on,” Balać told the news outlet. “They really had a vision for trying to get polo to be accessible to a wider audience.”

He continued, “I think I spoke to them before I ever went to a polo match, and it was [Meghan] who really prepped me for how wonderfully casual polo can be.”

The showrunner explained that Meghan wanted to emphasize the experience of polo from a spectator’s point of view.

He added that while Sundays at polo are a “big do,” the rest of the week is “actually so down to earth.”

“They’re there not to see and be seen, but to enjoy the sport that they really care about and people show up to that for free and you just pull up and she said that that’s what she loves,” Balać shared.

“She also loves tailgating at a polo match, and that just sort of set a lightbulb in my head where I was like, ‘Oh, this world is really not going to be what I think it is, in a good way,” the showrunner explained.

He added, “And we were able to then dig deeper into all the ways that it isn’t what people assume it is.”

The former “Suits” actress faces a difficult task in achieving her vision for the series as polo, usually regarded as the “sport of Kings” because many royals take a liking to it, has a pricey requirement which places it out of reach for the average income earner.

To be fully geared up to participate in the sport, one must make do with about £6,000 for the kit, including items like a £500 helmet, a £1,200 saddle, and £600 specialist boots, with prices quickly rising for high-end brands.

There are also club membership fees that cost around £1,500, on top of the £400 needed to enter a tournament.

A good horse costs around £100,000 and would set the owner back around £1,200 a month to maintain and around £35,000 to transport.

Harry has played polo for years now and is a prominent feature for the annual Sentebale Polo Cup, his charity’s flagship fundraiser.

The Duke of Sussex seemingly put his all into bringing the Netflix series to life as Balać praised him for his expertise in the sport.

“Prince Harry knows the sport inside and out. To be able to have him as someone to bounce ideas off of and then also to get notes from… ‘Maybe if you edit it like this, the polo will just feel even more exciting. Or you got to make sure that the point is played out like this because that’s how you keep it factually accurate,'” Balać said.

“To have a polo expert in-house with him was so special. I think a lot of projects have EPs that can give great notes, but it’s rare that you have someone who’s truly an expert in the subject that you are documenting,” the showrunner added.

Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are already preparing for the holidays and have sent out an invitation to Princess Eugenie which is said to have left her in a “difficult position.”

Eugenie reportedly faces a dilemma on how best to handle the situation because her presence will also be required at the Royal family’s traditional celebrations in Sandringham.

“Harry and Meghan have invited Eugenie and Jack to join them in California during the holidays. It’s a very difficult position for Eugenie because she has also been invited to Sandringham,” a source close to Eugenie told The Mirror.

“It would be so nice for the children to spend time with their cousins,” the source noted, hinting that a get-together may suffice. “The diary is very tight over the holidays but there might be a slot free around New Year’s time for everyone to come together at some point.”