The Guards Polo Club is an English polo club in

Windsor, Berkshire Windsor is a historic market town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British monarch. The town is situated west ...

. It was most closely associated with the British Royal Family.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

was President of the club from its formation on 25 January 1955 until his death in April 2021. Queen Elizabeth II was its patron. The Polo Magazine 6/08

Overview

The Club is based at Smiths Lawn, in

Windsor Great Park Windsor Great Park is a Royal Park of , including a deer park, to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. It is adjacent to the private Home Park, which is nearer the castle. The park was, for man ...

, which is thought to have been named after a game keeper at the time of the

Stuart Restoration The Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland took place in 1660 when King Charles II returned from exile in continental Europe. The preceding period of the Protectorate and the civil wars came to ...

. The Club has ten polo pitches on 53 hectares (130 acres) and stables, paddocks and training facilities four miles away at Flemish Farm. The Queen and Prince Philip opened a new, purpose-built clubhouse and Royal box in front of a selection of club members at Smiths Lawn on Sunday 26 April 2009. Under the 25-year stewardship of Commander of the

Household Cavalry The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment sta ...

Colonel

William Gerard Leigh Colonel William Henry Gerard Leigh CVO, CBE (5 August 1915 – 2008) more commonly known as G, was a British veteran of the Life Guards during World War II. He rose to become a major figure in polo world. He served as the chairman of the Guards P ...

(1915 - 2008) as both player and from 1955, Chairman, the Household Brigade Polo Club changed its name in 1969 to the Guards Polo Club. Guards Polo Club - geograph

The club name derives from the Guards Division of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. British Army Officers of the

Household Division Household Division is a term used principally in the Commonwealth of Nations to describe a country's most elite or historically senior military units, or those military units that provide ceremonial or protective functions associated directly with ...

regiments, who hold the

Queen's Commission A commission is a formal document issued to appoint a named person to high office or as a commissioned officer in a territory's armed forces. A commission constitutes documentary authority that the person named is vested with the powers of that ...

, are exempt from the Playing Members' entrance fee, which is £22,000, in addition to the annual subscription of £5,850 (as at 2012). It claims on its website to have the largest membership of any polo club in Europe, and is one of the four polo clubs in the United Kingdom that stage elite high goal tournaments; the others are the Cirencester Park, Cowdray Park and

Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club is a polo club located near Windsor, Berkshire and home to the Prince of Wales tournament - one of the most coveted high goal trophies in Polo. It is set in a 230-acre estate, one mile from Ascot Racecourse ...

. '' The Polo Magazine'' called it "the most prestigious polo club in the world". The best-known day on the Guards Polo Club's calendar is the

Hurlingham Polo Association The Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) is the governing body for polo in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and many other countries. The Federation of International Polo produces the International Rules of Polo through a coop ...

's International Day (formerly known for sponsorship reasons as the Cartier International). Always held at the end of July, it has in the past attracted crowds of over 30,000 people.Tatler 5/04 The Club's playing season starts in April and finishes in mid September. The premier official tournaments are the Queen's Cup (high goal), Royal Windsor (medium goal) and the Archie David (low goal), all of which take place in June. The Club is also home to the Inter-Regimental in July, The Duke of Wellington Trophy in August and the Nations Cup in September, at which the Club's 1st V successfully competes. The Club has been in the forefront of supporting polo for the young. Through the season it holds representative matches and tournaments for the Pony Club, and for schools, universities and young players from the armed forces.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1955 establishments in the United Kingdom British royalty Guards Division (United Kingdom) Household Cavalry Polo clubs in the United Kingdom Sport in Berkshire Sport in the British Army Sports clubs established in 1955 Windsor Great Park