Prince Harry has never been a typical Royal.
As one of the most recognisable faces in the world, all eyes were on the cheeky bachelor as his love life gripped the nation over the years.
Harry – who turns 37 today (September 15) – has been linked to a string of beauties throughout his life, from reality stars to singers, ultimately settling down with a Hollywood actress.
But even now he’s a family man, his life isn’t necessarily straight forward, and he and Meghan Markle have moved away from the British Royals.
As Prince Harry turns one year older, let’s take a look back at the royal’s controversial love life.
Chelsy Davy
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
As the nation watched their beloved bad boy prince get up to his usual frivolous antics, Brits were celebrating when he finally went public with his first official girlfriend, Zimbabwe-born beauty Chelsy Davy, who he famously dated on and off from 2004 to 2011.
The prince met the blonde beauty on a trip to South Africa during his gap year, and Chelsy eventually moved to the UK to attend Leeds University.
The star couple’s relationship broke down after Chelsy struggled to cope with the clamour that surrounds dating a prince.
Speaking to The Times, she shared how she was pursued by the paparazzi during her relationship.
“Yes it was tough. It was so full-on: crazy scary and uncomfortable,” she said.
“I found it very difficult when it was bad. I couldn’t cope. I was young, I was trying to be a normal kid and it was horrible.”
After splitting, the pair remained close, with ex Chelsy even attending Harry and Meghan’s nuptials three years ago.
Cressida Bonas
(Image: WireImage)
Between Chelsy and Meghan there were a string of beauties in Harry’s life.
He dated actress and model Cressida Bonas for two years between 2012 and 2014 after being introduced by Princess Eugenie.
Citing too much media attention, the pair’s relationship sizzled and Cressida is now engaged to her partner Harry Wentworth-Stanley an actress and also has her own podcast called Fear Itself.
Like Chelsy, Cressida also attended Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.
Ellie Goulding
(Image: Getty Images)
Prince Harry and singer Ellie Goulding are believed to have become close and were seen looking friendly at a string of events, including the Invictus Games in 2014, and a polo match in 2015.
Photography was reportedly banned inside the polo match, but the duo were said to have “only had eyes for each other all night”, according to Vanity Fair.
The duo met in 2011, after Ellie famously performed at his brother Prince Williams wedding to Kate Middleton.
Ellie once nervously laughed when asked about Harry in an interview, and attempted to quickly move the conversation on – but that’s as far as either has commented.
Caroline Flack
(Image: Getty Images)
Beloved late TV presenter Caroline Flack was also rumoured to be seeing the prince at one time.
In 2009 rumours started to circulate that he was involved with Flack, although Prince Harry has never commented on the relationship.
Caroline wrote about their bond in her book Storm In a C Cup, saying she found it “exciting” when she met the Prince, and that she “really liked him”.
She continued: “However, once the story got out, that was it. We had to stop seeing each other.
“I was no longer Caroline Flack, TV presenter, I was Caroline Flack, Prince Harry’s bit of rough.”
Mollie King
(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Saturdays singer Mollie King confirmed she’d been out for drinks with Prince Harry back in 2012.
The stunning songstress didn’t last long with Harry, though she did soon move on with male supermodel David Gandy – so who’s the winner there?
Mollie previously said of the prince: “Yes, I have met Harry, and we did go out for a drink.”
Camilla Thurlow
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Love Island star Camilla Thurlow is rumoured to have dated Harry briefly in 2014.
She never confirmed the rumours – but she didn’t deny them either – when in 2017 she said: “A lady never tells.”
However she did allude to the short-lived romance when she said: “I didn’t want my past relationships in the spotlight to upset having a future with someone.”
She is now happily loved up with her co-star Jamie Jewitt. The duo got married earlier this month and they also welcomed their daughter Nell in October 2020.
Meghan Markle
(Image: Getty Images)
From their first meeting on a blind date in 2016 at central London’s exclusive Soho House, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had nothing short of a whirlwind relationship shrouded in celebration, gossip and family fallouts.
Their relationship was made public when Meghan accompanied Harry to the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, where they were seen holding hands, whispering to each other, and smiling.
Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in November 2017.
After tying the knot in May 2018 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, England, the queen gave them the additional title of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
(Image: PA)
The couple welcomed their son, Archie, the same month they celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary and have since welcomed their daughter Lillibet Diana.
Harry and Meghan announced their step back as senior members of the royal family in January 2020 with plans to work to become financially independent.
They left the UK for California in March 2020, much to the dismay of the British public.
The pair relocated to California and held a controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey, where the Duchess stated that her life as a British royal was so isolating and lonely at one point she “didn’t want to be alive anymore”.
Meghan described herself as the victim of an image-obsessed Buckingham Palace, which weighed in on everything from how dark her son Archie’s skin colour would be to how often she went to lunch with friends.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
