My brush with royalty — what it was like to be 5 feet from Prince Harry

Like the rainstorm that swept through Palm Beach County last Wednesday, Prince Harry’s appearance in Wellington was brief, but made its mark.

The prince was crowned polo champion for the day, delivered his eminent words and then was gone in an instant.

His Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup was an invite-only event, but even though I am merely part of the working class, I was privileged to cover the event as a reporter and the experience was something I won’t ever forget.

Rain chances were 100 percent (that’s not promising) and the sky was dark throughout the drive to Valiente Polo Farm. By the time I got to the front of queue (as Prince Harry would probably call it) of cars, it was pouring.

Now, my first mistake was not bringing an umbrella or a rain coat. Despite living in Florida for the past two years, I don’t even own either. If I need to go out in the rain, I just run from shelter to shelter. Yes, I know, not the best idea.

By the time I got to the media tent, I was soaked. But the magnificent food spread made me forget the drenching and the rain stopped shortly after, so everything was good.

Famous polo player (and Ralph Lauren model) Nacho Figueras showed up first, strolling down the wet grass “carpet” and chatting with the media.

It was at this point I realized my second mistake: I didn’t need to wear a tie. I figured it was an upscale event, so I wanted to dress up. But if I really wanted to fit in, I should have worn white pants and an open collar with no undershirt.

Not long after, the sky opened up again and we were forced to hunker down in the tent. Most people were taking off their shoes to walk through the grass at this point. I don’t blame them. Some of those shoes were likely more expensive than the 2001 Toyota Camry I drove there in.

The sun came back out just in time for Prince Harry to show up and have his picture taken by everyone except me, because my phone’s memory filled up after one shot of his back. I quickly deleted some rain videos I took and got a couple pictures before he moved on.

By the time the matches began I was wet and cold. I had been to one match so I kind of knew what was going on. Harry’s team took down the trophy, getting it back from Nacho this time. They have what my colleague Barbara Marshall called a “bromance.”

Harry didn’t speak to the media, but he seemed friendly, laughing and joking with the other players.

Even though the torrential rain turned the day into more of a royal flush than flash, it was truly memorable.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Post reporter: His brush with Prince Harry in Wellington