In 2014, Prince Harry had been enjoying a romance with aspiring actress Cressida Bonas but according to a book, their relationship came to an abrupt end after a royal tour embarked on by Prince William and Kate

Prince Harry might be settled with former actress wife Meghan Markle, but long before they met, he dated another actress.

For two years, the prince had an on-and-off relationship with Burberry muse and model Cressida Bonas – after reportedly being introduced by Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie. But the romance fizzled out and now Cressida is pregnant with her second child with husband Harry Wentworth-Stanley.

And it appears the reason why her royal romance didn’t last was because Cressida decided royal life was just too much for her – especially after seeing Harry’s sister-in-law, the now Princess of Wales, on TV.

Harry and Cressida dated for around two years ( 
Image:
AFP/Getty Images)
According to the book Battle of Brothers about Princes William and Harry, royal expert Robert Lacey claims William and Kate’s royal tour of New Zealand and Australia “spooked” Cressida. He writes: “A rising actress, Cressida did not enjoy the critical remarks that she could hear people making behind her back when she walked down the street in London – she felt that the fame of her relationship put her “in a box”.

“In 2014, she was said to have been ‘completely spooked’ after watching the TV coverage of William and Kate touring New Zealand with baby George in tow – that was not the way she would want to enjoy her eight-month-old son, she regretfully explained to Harry.”

At the time of their split, a friend said: “It’s very sad that they have decided to split but this is a completely amicable separation and they are remaining the very best of friends.” However, Harry and Cressida remained friends, and the actress was invited to Meghan and Harry’s royal wedding back in 2018.

Cressida is now expecting her second child ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Hershesons)

Cressida married husband Harry Wentworth-Stanley in 2020 ( 
Image:
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
Cressida had a secret lockdown wedding to her husband Harry, an estate agent and the son of the Marchioness of Milford Haven, in August 2020. The bride and groom enjoyed a private ceremony in the countryside joined by a select few friends and family. Cressida wore an unexpected and understated £599 dress for her big day which she had previously worn in a James Arthur music video.

Two years ago she welcomed her son Wilbur and is now expecting her second child after she used an embryo she had frozen following struggles to conceive her first child. The 35-year-old said: “I am now well into my second pregnancy. Having conceived through IVF the first time, we were fortunate to have another embryo stored away in a freezer… I’ve been battling morning sickness. I’ve never had it before, and now feel like I’ve been swaying on a boat for months.”

The actress’s joyful news comes years after she said her “body was failing” her when she struggled to get pregnant despite a specialist told the couple “there was nothing fundamentally wrong”. Writing in The Sunday Times, Cressida had said: “I spent time and money on reflexology, nutritionists, acupuncture and psychics…Even a German healer who speaks to angels. I heard nothing, not a squeak.

“My mind was on a constant worry loop and my obsession with getting pregnant became overwhelming, No matter how many Mystic Megs I saw or expensive supplements I took, nothing was working, and I felt as if my body was failing me.” In July 2022, Cressida, also a model, confirmed she had fallen pregnant after undergoing IVF, and she gave birth to Wilbur in November of that year.