Prince Harry’s had a lengthy on-off relationship with former girlfriend Chelsy Davy – but according to a book, she finally called it quits with him in 2011 after she was attended a huge royal event

Prince Harry (

Marrying a prince, becoming princess and living in a palace might seem like the ultimate fairytale dream – but the reality is very different.

And even though Prince Harry has found his happy ever after with Meghan Markle, one of his ex-girlfriends ended their romance after realising she wasn’t cut out for royal life. And it is claimed that realisation came after she watched the Prince and Princess of Wales tie the knot in 2011.

At that time, Harry was in an on-off relationship with his first serious girlfriend Chelsy Davy – a Zimbabwean lawyer who Harry had known since school. However, she seemingly struggled to deal with the royal spotlight, and it was Kate and William’s wedding that proved to her for the final time that it wasn’t the life she wanted.

Harry and Chelsy at the rugby together in 2008 (
Image:
AFP/Getty Images)
Royal biographer Robert Lacey explains in his book Battle of Brothers that shortly after the wedding, Chelsy finally ended their long romance. He writes: “In 2011, after more comings and goings, she finally decided to go – and it was, ironically, Kate and William’s grand and glorious wedding that spring that did it for her. According to a friend, she told Harry that she could never make the scarifies she had witnessed Kate making, particularly when it came to moulding her life around the unremitting attention of the press.”

However, it wasn’t just Chelsy who decided against royal life – his next girlfriend Cressida Bonas did too. The Burberry model met Harry in 2012 and the pair dated on and off until 2014. And Robert explains in his book how she became “spooked” by William and Kate’s royal tour of Australia.

Harry with former girlfriend Cressida Bonas in 2014 (
Image:
WireImage)
He says: “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.”

After she split from Harry, Chelsy went on to marry Sam Cutmore-Scott and welcomed their first child together in 2022. It’s reported they named their son, Leo. And just earlier this week, it was revealed they have welcomed a second child together – a daughter called Chloe.

Chelsy made the announcement on her Instagram account and also posted for the first time on her jewellery brand’s page, Aya Jewels. She uploaded a number of images of the youngster and wrote: “POV: it’s been three years and two babies since your last new collection, but you’re mega-excited to be back in the game.”

She revealed the name of the child – as well as a new collection – as she continued: “Introducing the Chloe Collection, named after my baby girl. Hope you love it as much as I do x.”