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Jokes from Prince Harry could go a long way in his upcoming Netflix series about polo. A royal commentator says the Duke of Sussex’s new show must tread carefully or risk mistakes made by other celebrities. To that end, some humor just might help it strike the “right tone.” 

Harry has to ‘get the tone absolutely perfectly right’ on his Netflix polo series

Playing polo in lavish locales can’t be the extent of Harry’s polo series, according to Jack Royston, the host of The Royal Report podcast (via Newsweek). 

“I think they need to get the tone absolutely perfectly right,” he said of the show, which Archewell Productions announced on April 11, 2024. 

“I don’t think they can just, in 2024, celebrate how exceptionally amazing and god-like these mega-rich polo players are, riding around in the sunshine on horses.” 

“It’s great that they raise money for charity,” he added. “That’s brilliant. Equally, we’re still going through a cost-of-living crisis.” 

“A lot of people are still struggling in all kinds of ways with all kinds of things,” he said before referencing the backlash surrounding Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s People’s Fund of Maui.  

“It was less than a year ago that everyone piled in on Oprah and the Rock over Maui. So, it’s probably fair to say doing charity work does not, in and of itself, get you off the hook in the modern world.” 

The ‘age-old formula’ of poking fun could ‘help a lot’ with Harry’s Netflix polo series

Here’s where Harry’s sense of humor could come in handy. According to Royston, the 39-year-old could help avoid potential pitfalls with cheeky comments of his own on camera. 

“I do think there’s an age-old formula here that they could follow, which will help a lot, and that’s to basically send themselves up and send up this world as well,” Royston said. “Like, don’t just worship the polo players and the polo circuit and the polo world. Make light of it as well.” 

“People love Harry when he’s funny,” he continued. “That’s when he’s at his most charming. And it diffuses the kind of flamboyant wealth bomb much more effectively than purely the presence of charity fundraising alone.” (Harry and Meghan have an estimated net worth of $60 million.)

“The charity cause is fantastic,” Royston added. “It’s great that it’s there. People love it when stars raise money for charity. But as Oprah and the Rock have proved, charity alone is not a shield against allegations of privilege anymore.” 

Harry’s series will ‘pull the curtain back’ on the sport of polo

So what can viewers expect from Harry’s show about polo? A behind-the-scenes look at the sport. According to Deadline, the series will not only “explore the world of the sport, which is known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene.”

It will also “pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level.” 

The majority of the footage will be from the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida, at The USPA National Polo Center. (Harry and Meghan Markle attended a charity polo match in the same city shortly following the announcement.) 

Miloš Balać, from FX’s Welcome to Wrexham, is the series’ showrunner. Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are executive producing for Archewell Productions. At the time of writing, the show has no title and no release date.

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