PICS: Prince Harry plays annual charity polo match in Rome

Cape Town – Prince Harry put aside dad duties for the day to raise funds for the Sentebale Foundation.

Harry and Meghan welcomed their first child, Archie earlier this month. (Read more here)

On Friday the Duke of Sussex travelled to Rome to play in the ninth annual Sentebale Polo Cup to raise funds and awareness for the charity's work supporting children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa.

According to the Sussex royal Instagram account the charity was co-founded by Harry with Prince Seeiso in 2006 and has worked for over ten years in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi to address the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people affected by HIV, providing them with the tools, peer networks, and education to lead healthy and productive lives.

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Today The Duke of Sussex played in the ninth annual @Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup, held for the first time in Rome, Italy, to raise funds and awareness for Sentebale’s work supporting children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa. Co- founded by The Duke of Sussex in 2006 with Prince Seeiso, @Sentabale has worked for over a decade in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi to address the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people affected by HIV, providing them with the tools, peer networks, and education to lead healthy and productive lives. Eastern and southern Africa remain the regions most affected by the HIV epidemic - accounting for 45% of the world’s HIV infections. Lesotho and Botswana have the second and third highest infection rate of HIV in the world – with children often too afraid to access the life-saving treatment and care available, because there is still too much associated stigma. Sentebale’s core programme supporting children living with HIV reaches over 4,600 children and young people each month who are coming to terms with living with HIV through monthly Saturday clubs at local healthcare facilities, and 1,700 youth through residential week-long camps in Lesotho and Botswana. Last year alone, Sentebale’s youth volunteers aged between 18 and 24 delivered sexual and reproductive health education, including topics on HIV prevention in schools and communities to over 100,000 of their peers in Lesotho. Support from today’s match will help @Sentebale to expand these essential and life-transforming initiatives. To learn more about @Sentebale or lend your support, visit www.sentebale.org or if you’re in London on June 11th, please join us for the Sentebale Audi concert at Hampton Court Palace @historicroyalpalaces, more details can be also found on the @Sentebale website Photos: Chris Jackson, Delfina Blaquier

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on May 24, 2019 at 7:40am PDT

Prince Harry played alongside his close friend and professional polo player, Nacho Figueras. The pair were once again on the winning team.

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Last year Meghan presented Harry and his team with the trophy. (Read more here)

The event takes place every year and was held at the luxurious Val de Vie estate in Paarl, South Africa in 2015.

READ MORE: We watched Prince Harry play Polo like a pro! Get all the deets here!

(Photos: Getty Images)