...but it frees up time for polo

THE Duke of Sussex once dreamed of becoming a professional polo player only for his father to tell him “princes can’t really do that kind of thing”, a documentary reveals.

In a first sign of Harry’s rebellious streak that would eventually see him step down from royal duties, Prince Charles had to persuade his son to rethink.

Instead, together with Prince William the pair went on to raise more than £10 million by playing in charity polo tournaments.

Channel 5’s All the Queen’s Horses explores the Royal Family’s deep love for all things equestrian

– from the Queen’s passion for racing to Prince Philip’s association with carriage driving.

The programme shows it was the Duke of Edinburgh who popularised polo in the Fifties and got Prince Charles hooked on “the sport of kings” as a teenager.

Later the young princes took up the game and historian Kate Williams said horses appealed to Harry’s “desire for freedom and speed and sometimes to be a little bit reckless”.

She said: “Prince Harry in particular did think he wanted to be a professional polo player but

Prince Charles said princes can’t really do that kind of thing, they have to do charity work and representation.”

However, she said the game had always been a “great escape” for Prince Charles.

“Polo was one of the very few places where he felt he could be ordinary and be free,” she added.

The documentary also reveals the Queen has had cameras installed at her Sandringham stud farm so she can watch foals being born day and night on her ipad.

● All The Queen’s Horses, Channel 5, tonight 7pm