Polo is said to be the most-loved sports of the royals. They are, reportedly, obsessed with this game. However, Prince Charles didn't know that it would be the reason of his accident, as he was left "quietly dying" when he joked that Prince William and Prince Harry tried to kill him to walk off his ponies.
In an unearthed 2006 interview, the Prince of Wales revealed that he was injured and hospitalized after a polo match with his two sons. However, the two princes seemed to be unbothered with what happened to their dad as he was "quietly dying," per Express.
In a talk with Ant and Dec, Prince Charles revealed that they wanted to win. As he was competing with the younger Prince William and Prince Harry, he felt like he was an "old silly father" who had to keep up with their strength.
The Duke of Cambridge intervened in the talk, saying it was the "politest thing" that he told his father. With his desire to win, the Duke of Cornwall tried too hard to turn his pony very fast. The next thing he knew, the pony fell, and he landed on his head.
He was quickly taken to the nearest hospital. When he woke up, Prince Harry told him he thought he was only lying on the ground "snoring." "There I was, busily swallowing my tongue, quietly dying!" he said.
Prince William, Prince Harry, and Ant and Dec couldn't help but laugh on Prince Charles' revelation. "Can you imagine they tried to kill me so they could walk off with my ponies!" the husband of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, added. To which, the Duke of Sussex interrupted and said with a smile, "and the rest."
So, why does the royal family love polo that much? Polo Weekly reported that from King George VI to Prince Philip to Prince Harry, all have been polo players. So, it will be no surprise if Prince George and the new generation of princes will follow in their footsteps.
Prince Philip brought the sport to the U.K. when the war ended. He was taught by his uncle, Earl Mountbatten of Burma when he was stationed in Malta during World War II. In England, the Duke of Edinburgh formed the Windsor Park team and Guards Polo Club. He continued playing until the age of 50.
Hence, it was Prince Philip who started the family tradition when he gave his son, Prince Charles, a mallet at the tender age of 15. He then started competing at the age of 19, becoming a huge fan of polo. The future king even called the sport "one great extravagance" despite sustaining a lot of injuries throughout his career.
