As we all know, Prince Harry eventually fell in love and married Megan Markle. She now has a fancy royal title: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex!
You might think that any woman would kill to be in Meghan’s shoes. However, there are a few women who did the unthinkable and actually turned down Prince Harry.
Wondering who these women could possibly be? We’ve got the full scoop right here!
Chelsy Davy
In many ways, Chelsy Davy is the opposite of Meghan Markle. Whereas Markle is a brunette actress, Davy is a blonde who comes from Zimbabwean wealth.
She met Prince Harry in 2004, and they began a relationship that waxed and waned for over 6 years. How serious was this romance? She actually attended some royal events such as the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!
That was enough taste of royalty for her, though, and she called off the relationship in 2011.
Florence Brudenell
If Chelsy Davy was the long-term fling, model Florence Brudenell was the hot and heavy romance. She seemingly started dating Harry back in 2011, not that long after Harry’s split with Davy.
They had a summer of fun before Brudenell realized the same thing Davy eventually did: royal life was not exactly her cup of tea. She didn’t seem to mind the wealthy life, though, as she eventually married the millionaire Henry St. George. It’s not like she and Harry are dead to each other, though, as they frequently cross paths at social gatherings.
Natalie Pinkham
We know that Prince Harry has a love of sports such as rugby. So, it makes sense that he would eventually cross paths with a sports broadcaster such as Natalie Pinkham.
The two actually met back in 2006, and it took no time at all for them to start snogging. Because of their passionate romance, the media naturally figured that Prince Harry had the hots and that this would become more of a long-term relationship. However, Pinkham was having none of this. Whenever anyone asked, she insisted that the two simply had a close friendship. Not so close anymore, though: since marrying Markle, Prince Harry has “ghosted” the sports presenter.
Caroline Flack
Ever notice how nothing is hotter than forbidden love? This is something Prince Harry seemed to discover with X Factor host Caroline Flack.
They met back in 2009 and enjoyed a discreet romance together. “Discreet” is the key word here because, according to Flack, the world wasn’t ready for their pairing. In her 2015 book Storm in a C Cup, she called herself Harry’s “bit of rough” and admitted that she had to call the whole thing off once the world found out they were dating.
Cressida Bonas
While Caroline Flack may have been the “bit of rough,” Cressida Bonas is more like what you imagine when you think of “royal romance.” She has royalty in her own family and was actually introduced to Prince Harry in 2012 by her cousin, Princess Eugenie.
What followed was a whirlwind two-year romance. While they tried to play it cool, fans saw them just about everywhere, including the Glastonbury music festival.
Once again, though, Harry’s fame became a major issue. It was tough for Bonas to channel her hippie spirit while the entire world was watching, so she called it quits with Harry in 2014 and eventually became engaged to a property developer named Harry Wentworth-Stanley.
Mollie King
Many have wondered how you go about meeting royalty. As Mollie King can attest, it helps if you are already famous!
She is the singer in the hit pop band The Saturdays. Somewhere between a voice that kills and a wardrobe that leaves little to the imagination, she managed to get a few dates with Prince Harry in 2010. The two had fun, but the romance was not destined to last. Instead, Mollie King went on to date someone that was more her speed: David Gandy, an international model.
Lauren Pope
Of all the women on this list, British reality TV star Lauren Pope may have the ultimate “meet cute” with Prince Harry. She bumped into him, quite literally, at a club in 2011. It was only when her friend came over and told her that she realized she had just jabbed an elbow into the prince!
The two of them sat down and actually enjoyed talking and dancing for many hours. And all of it certainly left an impression on Harry, who called her up later to see if she was up for a return to the club. Lauren said “no,” but the reason why is a bit hilarious. She got the impression that Harry wanted to head out very soon and she was currently lounging on her sunbed. Faced with a choice between rushing and looking terrible or just not going, she politely declined Harry’s offer.
Everything works out for the best, though. Harry is now happily married to Meghan Markle, who gave birth to their son Archie in May 2019.