Prince Harry to play charity polo in Dubai

Shedding his bad boy image for a change, Prince Harry is scheduled to visit Dubai to participate in a charity polo match on March 19, to raise awareness and funds for HIV and Aids victims in Lesotho.

The Sentebale Polo Cup is associated with the Sentebale children’s charity that was set up to continue the work done by Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, Princess of Wales who died on August 31, 1997 in a car crash in Paris.

This is Prince Harry’s first visit to the UAE according to a statement issued by the spokesperson for the third in line to England’s throne.

The statement also said: “The Prince will undertake additional engagements in the Emirate of Dubai throughout the day. St James’s Palace will issue further information about these in due course.”

This is to be the second Sentebale Polo Cup after the inaugural event, which took place in Barbados during January 2010, saw Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho launched the competition at the Apes Hill Polo Club.

“Sentebale” means “forget-me-not” in Sesotho – the name given as a reminder not to forget victims of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Lesotho.

Prince Harry, along with his brother Prince William, is the honorary patron of the charitable organisation, which comes to the aid of approximately 3,000 children in the landlocked African country.

At last year’s inaugural event, a visibly emotional Prince Harry said: “…HIV and AIDS are killing more people every year, and poverty and drought afflict many more people than we currently are able to help. The situation is critical. It is the children who are suffering the most from this crisis. Without help, the future of this beautiful country and its unique people is very bleak. We believe Sentebale can change this.”

The Sentebale Polo Cup in Dubai will be sponsored by Royal Salute.

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