Prince Harry’s polo-playing pal, Nacho Figueras, has shared a heartwarming image of the pair to celebrate the Duke of Sussex’s 40th birthday with a caption that has surprised fans.

Taking to his social media account on Instagram, Nacho shared an image of himself with his arm around Prince Harry as the two are seen laughing joyfully.

In a caption, Nacho shared his admiration for the Prince: “Happy 40th brother. From the polo fields to all the moments in between, I’m grateful for the bond we share. Here’s to many more laughs, memories, and good times ahead. Love you.”

Prince Harry, who now resides in Montecito, California, with his wife, Meghan Markle and two children, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet, celebrated his milestone birthday on Sunday, September 15.

Fans of Prince Harry commented on the wording Nacho used in his caption to describe his friend. One wrote: “Thank you for being such a good friend to Harry…”

Another added: “Thank you for being Harry’s brother of the heart!”

A third wrote: “Brothers are not always related by blood. Thank you for supporting Prince Harry and being a true brother and friend.”

Prince Harry’s best friend has previously spilled the beans about the Duke of Sussex’s upcoming Netflix series which focuses on polo played as a competitive sport.

Speaking to Hello! Magazine, Nacho shared just how much playing polo means to Prince Harry: “We’ve been working on this for a long time. It was always Harry’s dream and passion to share with the world, what it takes to be a really competitive polo player and show polo at the highest level.”

Polo will be the subject of a new Netflix series which will see the duke and duchess acting as executive producers. The show will be made by the couple’s Archewell Productions company and will give “unprecedented access to the world of professional polo” and the US Open Polo Championship in Florida, Netflix said.

Just hours before Harry’s milestone birthday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the George Zajfen Tennis Tournament in Los Angeles on September 14.

The event was organised by the Alliance for Children’s Rights in honour of Kelly McKee Zajfen’s – one of Meghan’s close friends – late son, George, who passed away a couple of years ago.

For the occasion, Prince Harry donned a white t-shirt, blue jeans, a navy jacket and a pair of grey slip-on trainers, and Meghan wore an ivory dress by Giuliva Heritage.