HOME Office minsters watered down an immigration crackdown because the Queen was worried it would affect polo, government sources have claimed.
Her Majesty’s fears over the closing of a loophole which granted special visas for foreigners working in the sport caused the department to go “above and beyond” usual practise, the Mail on Sunday reports.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive for the Bentley Motors Royal Windsor Cup Final at Guards Polo Club in 2017
Sources told the newspaper Buckingham Palace’s vested interest caused the proposals to be changed after the Queen became “very animated”.
The interest is said to have been noted when the Home Secretary at the time, Amber Rudd, met with Her Majesty.
She had planned to overhaul the polo visa scheme, which allows players and grooms to work in the UK from March to September.
It had been feared these workers, mostly from Argentina and Australia, were using the system as a backdoor to get into the country through the UK’s 200 polo clubs.
Many of the more than 800 foreigners who came into the country on polo visas largely ended up working as farm labourers, experts claimed.
And this led to the Home Office suspending sponsored licences for more than a dozen clubs, with plans made to only give visas to the highest level of players from 2017.
But days after the then Home Secretary had a private audience with the Queen, sources claim special allocation numbers were upped and 500 visas have been granted each year since.
It reportedly came after civil servants were told the Royal Household had concerns skilled grooms would be blocked from coming to the country.
POLO PROPOSALS
The Palace has not made a comment, but insiders said the Queen would never give a personal opinion on a specific policy. HOAR Online has gone to Buckingham Palace for further comment.
Her Majesty is a huge polo fan, with her sons and grandsons all playing competitively.
The Queen’s Cup is played every July in Windsor Great Park, at the Guards Polo Club – founded by Prince Philip.
The club blamed financial loss last year on the tougher rules proposed by the government, with legal challenges started in 2016.
Sources claim a deal was cut by the Hurlingham Polo Association – which had begun legal proceedings – and the Home Office to allow 500 visas to be granted.
A former official told the newspaper: “It was clearly of great interest to the Palace, and that shaped the urgent nature of the response.
“It went above and beyond the usual deals cut with different special interest groups and sports.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel will be making a ruling within days over the relaxed visa arrangement – which polo sources say was always temporary and to allow for the sport to prepare – is due to expire next April.
This morning the Home Office said any announcement on the issue would be made in due course, but refused to comment on private conversations.
HOAR Online has also contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
The Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex play polo in the Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Memorial Polo Trophy
Prince Charles kissing the Queen’s hand after his team won the Westbury Cup at the Guards Polo Club
