Carlos III with the shirt of his beloved Burnley.
After the delicate death of Queen Elizabeth II this Thursday, some protocol issues begin to appear on the horizon: Carlos III will ascend the throne, but the formalization ceremony will only take place this Saturday. Isabel’s eldest son was followed by flares all his life, a life marked by sportand especially from the pole.
Carlos was born on November 14, 1948, one year after Elizabeth married Felipe, but five years before she was crowned monarch of the United Kingdom. His father has always been a fan of polo, to the point that he also practiced it in Argentina. Carlos, like many members of the royal family, he inherited the passion for horses.
During her teens, Windsor became one of her favorite destinations. There, the royal family owns an impressive castle, located just minutes from the Guards Polo Club, one of the most impressive sports facilities in Europe. The photos of him betray him: in that club, on top of a horse, Carlos showed the best version of him.
This Berkshire property was also home to Cartier International, a prestigious polo tournament. The new king of Great Britain did not miss an appointment, there and in Cirencester, Carlos played most of his games. His children, his brothers and even his first wife, Diana, knew how to accompany him. With her, he starred in one of her most iconic photographs of her on a polo field.
Most of Carlos’ polo career took place on British soil, but with few exceptions, the Londoner was encouraged to take inspiration from other countries. In 1978, for example, he represented the Queen’s cavalry regiment in Brazil, where his team defeated General Paiva Chaves’s team. In 1999, had the opportunity to play in Argentina.
Carlos set foot in Buenos Aires and, as soon as he arrived in the countryside, made a trip to the Hurlingham Club. There, in the west of Greater Buenos Aires, the then prince played a charity match against the local team. It was a win for the monarch’s team, who won 9-7 and extended their positive record over the horses.
Years after, Carlos once again had an approach to the Argentine polo. In 2009, Cartier International was again held in Windsor Park, with an event pitting the British polo team against the Argentine national team. This time Carlos played at home, but the albiceleste had to suffer.
On the 25th anniversary of the trophy, the British put the Cup into play. The result was overwhelming: 12 to 5 in favor of Argentina, which, led by Adolfo Cambiaso, did its duty in the United Kingdom. The person in charge of delivering the trophy was nothing more and nothing less than Prince Charles.
Football, the other passion of Carlos III
Just as the successor to the British crown has always been closely linked to polo, there is another sport that has a place in its heart: football. With this problem he was increasingly discreet. His mother, Isabel, was very identified with West Ham and Arsenal; William, her son, is a confessed fan of Aston Villa. Carlos, on the other hand, took another course.
After years of silence on this issue, the British monarch broke the silence, releasing in 2012: “A consortium of my charities, including the British Asian Trust, worked in Burnley, so some of you asked me tonight if I support a British football team and I said: ‘Yes, Burnley“.
“Burnley has been through very difficult times and I am trying to find ways to help regenerate and raise aspirations and self-esteem in that part of the world,” added Carlos, who was surprised to announce his fanaticism for a club that , today, he plays in the league, the second division of British football.
Curiously, Burnley stars in the Lancashire derby, in which he faces the Blackburn Rovers. Years ago, Carlos received Paul Hunt, then Executive Director of Blackburn, at St James’s Palace in London. Hunt gave the monarch a “Rover” shirt. Did Carlos keep it in his collection?
As with polo, Carlos also had his own approaches to Argentine football. One of these took place in 1999, from the hand of that visit that led him to play at Hurlingham. Upon his formal arrival, the royal family member had a meeting with then-president Carlos Menem.
Of the same, he left with a particular gift. The then prince spoke to the man from La Rioja, and it seems that the discussion has shifted to football. That day ended with Carlos III signing a soccer ball. After, He took a jersey and a pennant of the Argentine national team.
The new king broke him in polo as a child and showed his most football-loving version in South America. The truth is that the life of the monarch has always been linked to sport, and in relation to this, Argentina has been able to cross Carlos’s path more than once.
Source: Clarin
