A guide to all Prince Harry’s exes before Meghan Markle
With Prince Harry’s engagement to American actress Meghan Markle, headlines are proclaiming that the 33-year-old prince has taken “the long route to love” and that the “third time’s a romantic charm”.
Yet has his route been particularly “long”?
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Britain's Prince Harry’s fiancée US actress Meghan Markle she shows off her engagement ring as they pose for photographers at Kensington Palace in London on Monday. Photo: AFP
He’s now engaged in his early 30s and had two prior serious relationships – plus several flings. All of which would be pretty normal if he were not a member of the royal family. (In Britain the median age of first marriage is 30 for women and 31 for men.)
However, being a prince is not a normal life. Prince Harry has been surrounded by engagement speculation for years – and has given the media plenty of women to speculate about.
As the royal matrimania revs up, let’s take a moment to revisit Harry’s bachelor days, as chronicled mainly by the United States and British tabloids.
Chelsy Davy, who once dated Prince Harry, pictured in 2011. Photo: AP
Prince Harry’s first serious girlfriend was Chelsy Davy, whom he met in 2004 during his gap year in South Africa. (Davy is from Zimbabwe and is the daughter of a billionaire.) Davy studied law in Britain and went on to practise as a lawyer, yet the media often portrayed her as a “party girl”. Of course, Harry did his fair share of partying himself.
Prince Harry pictured with Chelsy Davy in 2009. Photo: Reuters
While they were dating, Harry’s service in the British Army and their frequent time apart were sticking points. In 2005, the Daily Mail reported that Davy gave the prince an ultimatum, saying: “It’s me or the British Army – you can’t have both.” (Harry stayed in the army, eventually doing two tours in Afghanistan.)
