ROYALSMeghan Markle and Prince Harry Slammed for Their 'Boring' 'POLO' Series
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 'Polo' premiered on Netflix, but the project received negative reviews.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's new Netflix series POLO struggled to impress royal watchers and appeal to a variety of audiences.
Prince Harry grew up playing polo with the royal family.
"Polo is a very niche sport. It's very much a sport for very wealthy people," royal expert Phil Dampier told an outlet. "The average person can't afford a polo mallet or stick let alone a horse or a horse box."
"I don't think it's going to attract many new players," Dampier added. "I spent many, many days watching the royals play polo, and I have to say it's pretty boring."
Harry grew up playing polo alongside Prince William and King Charles, as the pastime is associated with monarchs and nobility.
"It's very much one of those sports where people who are in it are enjoying it," Dampier noted. "But as a spectator sport it's not terribly exciting. It's mainly about the social scene."
Prince Harry hoped to highlight the emotion behind 'POLO.'
The Sussexes first signed a contract with Netflix in 2020, but except for their explosive tell-all program, their projects haven't attracted record-breaking streaming numbers.
"People swilling champagne, wearing very smart clothes and hobnobbing with each other off the pitch," Dampier stated. "The main problem for Netflix is that Harry and Meghan are hardly in this program."
"There are five parts and they only make a brief appearance in the 5th episode," he noted. "I think for the amount of money they're paying them reputed to be upwards of 80 to 100 million dollars."
Prince William was 'erased' from Prince Harry's 'POLO' documentary.
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The Decider published a similar review of Harry's passion project.
“Polo is a mostly boring look at a sport that very few people outside of elite circles have any particular interest in,” the review reads.
“The first episode was tough to connect with, because it presents a world that not only isn’t very relatable to most people, but is boring to boot,” critic Joel Keller added.
Aside from the couple's storytelling, royal experts didn't appreciate Harry's decision to avoid mentioning his famous family in the episodes. OK! previously reported William was most likely left out of the show due to the brother's ongoing rift.
"There's a big gap in this because of course, polo is the favorite sport of Prince William and he isn't appearing in the documentary because he's not speaking to his brother," host Andrew Pierce said on GB News of the family's feud.
"I mean, you can't do a polo documentary, frankly about Prince Harry if you don't include the British royal family in it because they've been playing polo for decades," he added.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle struggled to establish themselves in Hollywood.
When the trailer for POLO was first released, viewers predicted it wouldn't be well-received.
"It's hilarious, but not in a good way. It's so tacky and cringey, it is literally all the worst things about polo. I watched it in appalled hysterics,” a source told an outlet after seeing the trailer.
"The irony is that polo is actually a surprisingly inclusive sport these days," they added. "You do see plenty of rich kids but there are also plenty of kids from less rarefied backgrounds who just happen to be fantastic riders who are sponsored by the teams."
As an avid player, the Duke of Sussex hoped to showcase the emotion behind the hobby.
"This series offers audiences an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look into the passion and determination driving some of the world's elite polo players, revealing the grit behind the glamor," Harry said in a statement. "We're proud to showcase the true depth and spirit of the sport — and the intensity of its high-stakes moments."
Dampier spoke to The Sun.
