EXCLUSIVE: Prince Harry’s romantic gesture to ‘super-Wag’ Meghan Markle in Netflix doc….Read More

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle show off their fun side and romantic spark in their new Netflix documentary series, titled POLO, according to body language expert Judi James

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are executive producers of POLO, a new documentary series that debuts on Netflix today. The five-episode documentary follows polo players “on and off the field” as they compete in the US Open Polo Championship in Florida, and also features small cameos from the couple.

Unlike the pair’s 2022 Netflix series, titled Harry & Meghan, the Duke only appears a handful of times on screen with the Duchess appearing even less. But the moments they do appear are significant and portray a new dimension to their ongoing love story, according to body language expert Judi James.

Across the whole series, Harry and Meghan feature most in episode five, where the Duke is filmed introducing Meghan to Argentinian polo legend Alfonso Cambiaso, who speaks to her in Spanish. Harry is later seen scoring a goal, with Meghan affectionately applauding him and presenting him with a trophy. They then share a sweet kiss.

Analysing the footage, Judi notes that Meghan is the real star of the show in the series, despite Harry playing a more key role. “Harry is really only a vector in their appearances, stepping back like a producer with a budding starlet to allow Meghan to be admired and to register a very regal-looking set of status signals,” she explains.

Judi continues: “She is seen as the super-WAG who cuts through all the macho peacocking to make the player she meets bend and giggle in awe and respect. Harry watches her proudly, also chuckling at one point and only really stepping into the frame when his wife extends a hand and invites him into the convo.”

The body language expert highlights how their ‘fun side’ is displayed as they interact with others. “Harry and Meghan do manage to show us a glimpse of shared humour here, which should be another dimension in their ongoing love story,” Judi says. “They do a couple of bits of body language ‘banter’ with some pointing and some coy, flirty, shoulder-shrugging responses that make their fun side look well in tune.”

The new show comes as Harry decided to address divorce rumours amid speculation the Sussexes are close to calling it quits. In recent months, Harry and Meghan have made a string of solo appearances with reports of a ‘professional split’. But during a New York appearance, Harry shut down the rumours and said: “We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times”, adding that he just “ignores it” now.

Earlier this year, it was revealed Harry, who has played polo for decades and is a huge fan of the equestrian sport, had inked a deal with Netflix to produce the series. The streaming platform promised POLO would “provide viewers unprecedented access to the world of professional polo”.

Harry’s friend and fellow polo player, Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Figueras, worked closely with him to produce the show. Ignacio previously told People: “Prince Harry and I have talked about polo for years. The production company is incredible, and Netflix has a huge platform to reach the biggest hearts in the world. I am happy to be involved and think this is a great opportunity for the sport.”

In September, Netflix officially announced the documentary series on X with a statement that read: “POLO is a new documentary series that follows elite global players and offers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced world of the sport. From Archewell Productions and Boardwalk Pictures.”

Archewell Productions is the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex’s company. The show is part of the couple’s multi-year deal with Netflix, which Harry and Meghan signed in 2020. Meghan will also have her own non-fiction series, which will feature her celebrating “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining and friendship”.

Last month, the streaming platform shared a trailer with viewers and promised them an “unprecedented glimpse into the dedication and skill required to compete at the sport’s highest level”. Netflix explained the show follows a young player who is pushed to his limits, and a father-son duo widely regarded as the world’s greatest players.

But several of Harry’s former polo-playing pals gave their verdicts on the trailer and branded it ‘tacky’, saying it left them in hysterics. One told the Daily Beast: “It’s hilarious, but not in a good way. It’s so tacky and cringey, it is literally all the worst things about polo. I watched it in appalled hysterics.”

Another claimed that it missed an opportunity with its portrayal of the sport. They said: “The irony is that polo is actually a surprisingly inclusive sport these days. You do see plenty of rich kids but there are also plenty of kids from less rarefied backgrounds who just happen to be fantastic riders who are sponsored by the teams.”