Prince Harry is back on the polo field in Santa Barbara in first public outing since Queen’s Jubilee

Prince Harry was spotted striking a pose this weekend as he enjoyed a spot of polo under the Californian sun, almost a week after arriving back from the Queen‘s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in London.

The Duke of Sussex, 37, played for his friend Nacho Figueras’ team Los Padres at the Cancha de Estrella Polo Club in Santa Barbara on Friday, in what was the first time he was seen out and about since returning to Los Angeles on June 5. 

After working up a sweat, the red-faced royal was pictured taking a break as he placed his hands behind his head and sunk into his right hip. 

He donned a green top, white trousers and black riding boots and knee pads as he basked in the typical LA heat, before being seen mounting his brown horse and putting on his helmet and protective goggles for another round of play. 

It comes after royal experts this week claimed that Harry ‘must have gone home feeling very depressed for what he has given up’, after he and his wife Meghan Markle decided not to be more visible in the Jubilee celebrations because ‘they did not have centre stage seats’. 

The Duke and the Duchess of Sussex, 40, missed both the Platinum Jubilee Party and Pageant – as well as the Epsom Derby during the four-day festivities. 

Meghan was not present for the game on Friday, which Harry’s team lost 12-8 to Dundee II. 

The couple made only one public appearance over the Jubilee weekend, despite flying in from the US with their two children – Archie and Lilibet.

Prince Harry was spotted striking a pose this weekend as he enjoyed a spot of polo under the Californian sun, just days after arriving back from the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in London

The Duke of Sussex played for his friend Nacho Figueras’ team Los Padres at the Cancha de Estrella Polo Club in Santa Barbara on Friday, in what was his first game since returning to Los Angeles 

Harry donned a green top, white trousers and black riding boots and knee pads as he basked in the scorching LA heat, before mounting his brown horse and putting on his helmet and protective goggles

Royal experts this week claimed that Harry ‘must have gone home feeling very depressed for what he has given up’, after he and his wife Meghan Markle (pictured together during the Jubilee weekend) decided not to be more visible in the Jubilee celebrations because ‘they did not have centre stage seats’

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive back in California on Sunday, June 5, after reportedly leaving the UK an hour before the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration ended

They did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour, and were also seemingly relegated to the second row during the Thanksgiving service.

Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl told True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat that the couple weren’t at other celebrations because ‘they did not have centre stage seats’.   

Meanwhile, historian Hugo Vickers added: ‘Harry has given up being Captain of the Royal Marines, who were out in force. 

‘I think he must have gone home feeling very depressed for what he has given up.’

Katie said: ‘I honestly think it’s [because]… they knew that they wouldn’t be in that front row. 

‘And why did they leave the Royal Family? They left because they weren’t in the front row. I believe that’s why they weren’t at the other celebrations as they did not have centre stage seats.’

Elsewhere, royal biographer and journalist Duncan Larcombe said the Platinum Jubilee celebrations will haunt Prince Harry for the rest of his life, as he and his family were relegated to minor roles and decided not to participate in some events.

Harry takes off his protective goggles as he pauses for a break while playing polo in Santa Barbara on Friday 

Harry grasps his mallet and keeps his eye on the ball as he plays for his friend Nacho Figueras’ team Los Padres at the Cancha de Estrella Polo Club in Santa Barbara on Friday

Harry is all smiles while playing polo back in LA on Friday, although his team ended up losing 12-8 to Dundee II

Harry catches his breath after working up a sweat on the polo field in Santa Barbara on Friday afternoon 

The game, which was open to the public, was played at the Cancha de Estrella’s Polo Club, close to the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club

Prince Harry receives assistance as his kneepads are readjusted during a break in the polo match on Friday

Meghan was not present for the game on Friday, which Harry’s team lost 12-8 to Dundee II 

Harry takes a break under his team Los Padres’ tent near the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club on Friday 

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He said: ‘Those four days will haunt Prince Harry for the rest of his life. They [The Duke and Duchess of Sussex] were relegated to sitting behind the Duke of Gloucester [at the Thanksgiving service].

‘They didn’t take part in any way, shape or form visibly at the Trooping of the Colour… [Harry] will be fuming about the way he and his family were treated – if it was Prince William and the Royal Family who said, “you’re not coming to the royal box”, whilst other minor non-working Royals were at those events.’

Discussing the key images from the celebration, Katie told the programme: ‘If you’re going to take one image away from the weekend, it has to be [the one of the Queen and her three heirs standing on the Buckingham Palace balcony]. 

‘A Jubilee isn’t just a moment to reflect on the 70 years, but to look forward to the future. The Queen’s message is very clear, this is the future and for the first time in history, we have four generations of royalty. 

‘It is extraordinary. Also, it was deliberately engineered. If you watch the sequence of this, Camilla steps to the side, whilst Kate takes the two youngest children, and leaves the Queen with her three heirs.’

It comes after biographer Angela Levin, who spent a year with Harry, claimed the prince is likely to feel as if he is ‘owed an apology’ and was ‘largely ignored’ at the four-day celebration.

Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl (pictured) told True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat that the couple weren’t at other celebrations because ‘they did not have centre stage seats’

The couple didn’t appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour, and were also seemingly relegated to the second row during the Thanksgiving service (pictured) 

She added that the Duke of Sussex is allegedly ‘absolutely furious’ about the situation.

According to Ms Levin, it was clear Harry was unhappy when attending the Thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on Friday.

She told The Sun: ‘The thing that really stood out for me on that day was Harry’s anger – he wears his emotions on his face and he looked absolutely furious.

‘I think it’s quite interesting really – he could have been feeling lots of things. I don’t know whether he had a wave of feeling at what he had given up.’

Ms Levin added: ‘I think he would have been very, very upset that he was largely ignored. He still feels he’s owed an apology.’

However, the royal expert said Harry is ‘the one who should apologise’.

She also claimed Harry and Meghan did not check Prince William and Kate Middleton’s schedule before inviting them to a birthday party for Lilibet at Frogmore Cottage.

Harry and Meghan took a private jet from the UK back to America after the Queen’s Jubilee last weekend 

Prince Harry is seen in the passenger seat of a vehicle while being driven away from the airport in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife behind him

Meghan appears to have sat in the back seat, in the middle of their Range Rover, between the two children, who were not seen in public in the UK

Children’s equipment could be seen being offloaded from the private jet at a Santa Barbara airport

At the time, Kate and William were in Wales with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children reportedly flew out of Farnborough Airport, west of London, at 1.30pm on the Sunday of the Jubilee celebrations (June 5), an hour before the finale Pageant started in central London. 

One insider said: ‘There was no fanfare, they just went. They didn’t stick around for the Platinum Jubilee pageant which is a celebration of Britain and all of its quirks and eccentricities over the Queen’s 70 year reign.’

At lunchtime yesterday the Montecito-based couple were reportedly driven from Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, where they had been staying since arriving in the UK on the Wednesday before. 

And they were already crossing the Atlantic as Harry’s grandmother, father, brother and nieces and nephews waved to the adoring crowds from the balcony at Buckingham Palace at the denouement of four days of wonderful celebrations marking the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

The Sussexes arrived back in California at 6pm on Sunday June 5. Equipment that appeared to be a high chair was seen being offloaded from the plane. 

Harry was then photographed in the passenger seat of a black Range Rover that had arrived to transport the family home, and looked very serious after almost five days away from the US.

The Duke and Duchess did not attend the Platinum Party and stayed in Windsor alongside the Queen to reportedly watch the concert with Her Majesty.