The biggest names in the sport of polo were in action on the Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club, Windsor Great Park in a bid to win the Queen’s Cup 2013. The tournament itself began on Wednesday 22nd May, commencing three weeks of electrifying high-goal polo. With 16 teams entering this most prestigious of tournaments, including five of the greatest exponents of the sport in the world, all expectations were exceeded.

The Cartier Queen’s Cup 2013 was watched by Her Majesty The Queen, Arnaud M. Bamberger, Executive Chairman Cartier Ltd, and Laurent Feniou, Managing Director Cartier Ltd, alongside a strong crowd of polo aficionados. The summit of the day was the exhilarating Final Match, the play for the Queen’s Cup between Zacara and El Remanso, both of which came to the final unbeaten in this year’s competition. The Hanbury family’s El Remanso team impressed with their lovely flowing play and impressive pony power throughout the league stages of this competition and both sides featured a 10-goaler, the highest handicap possible in polo; Facundo Pieres for Zacara and David Stirling for El Remanso. Lyndon Lea’s Team Zacara, however, fresh from their victory at the US Open, proved to be an unstoppable force, and won the match 15 to 9.

The Queen presents Mr Arnaud M. Bamberger with the Award

To mirror the impressive talent on the field, Cartier invited guests from the worlds of stage, screen, sport, society, and literature into the Cartier enclosure, welcoming them to the elegant reception, serving Cartier champagne and a lunch created by Mosimann’s.

Guests of Note:

Sharon Stone, Charlotte Casiraghi, Clare Balding Celine Buckens, Michael Buerk, Stephen Campbell Moore, Oona Chaplin, Jilly Cooper OBE, Duffy, Ben Fogle, Claire Foy, John Hannah, Katherine Jenkins, Suzannah Lipscomb, Fernando Montano, Thandie Newton, Marina Poplavskaya, Stephanie Powers, Colin Salmon, Ed Westwick, HRH Princess Beatrice of York.

Team El Remanso and Team Zacara

Guests started with Burrata Pugliese with Isle of Wight tomatoes and lemon virgin oil, followed by Tagliata of Beef Fillet with wild rocket, chilli oil, and a basil dressing, and finished on a sweet note with Summer berries, raspberry sorbet, and Salted Caramel macaroons.

The enclosure was transformed into a quintessentially ‘English Garden’ with floral creations by John Carter; tables were adorned with bespoke cloths, littered with a sage green palette with a hint of lavender from both flowers and herbs. Norma Jean roses, lilac sweet peas, olive topiary, white hydrangeas, and rosemary were all used in the arrangements.

Source: Images.Net by Getty Images for Cartier