The Duke of Sussex’s long-time friend has congratulated the Duchess of Sussex on her new podcast and her efforts to “empower women”.

Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras, who is an ambassador for Harry’s charity Sentebale, said Meghan “means well” with the podcast and is attacking important subjects.

The first episode of the long-awaited Archetypes podcast was released on Spotify on Tuesday, in a conversation with Meghan’s close friend, tennis great Serena Williams.

Figueras and his wife Delfina Blaquier are also good friends of the Sussexes.

He spoke to the PA news agency at a charity polo match in Aspen, Colorado, on Thursday, which the duchess did not attend.

“She is always there, they have two very young children,” Figueras said.

“She’s also working very hard on her podcast that I want to congratulate her on.

“Sometimes the team has to divide to go on duty. That’s the only reason she’s not here, but she’s always here in spirit.”

Asked if he liked her new podcast he replied: “I do”.

“I think that she means well, she really wants to empower women and attack certain subjects that I think are important,” he said.

“So I wish her the best and I know that she cares about making the world a better place.”

In the first episode of Archetypes, Meghan shared the trauma of how her young son Archie narrowly escaped a fire in his bedroom on the Sussexes’ royal tour to South Africa.