Prince Harry’s Relationships Before Meghan Markle Ended for the ‘Exact Same Reason’ the Sussexes Left the Royal Family, Royal Commentator Says
Did history repeat itself with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex? One royal commentator says the couple left the royal family for the “exact same reason” two of Harry’s previous relationships ended.
Prince Harry had 2 major relationships before Meghan Markle
A mutual friend set up Harry and Meghan in the summer of 2016. The two instantly hit it off and, as Harry later revealed, their relationship “went from 0 to 60” in their first two months together. But who did Harry date before Meghan?
Prior to meeting his now-wife, the Duke of Sussex had two significant relationships. Harry began dating Chelsy Davy in 2004. Both were in their early 20s at the time.
The two had an on-and-off relationship while Davy attended university and Harry began what would become a 10-year stint in the military. After being romantically linked for nearly seven years the two parted ways for good.
Following his relationship with Davy, Harry dated dancer-actor Cressida Bonas. They were introduced to each other by Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, but the romance didn’t last. Harry and Bonas called it quits in 2014 after two years together.
Prince Harry’s previous relationships ended for the ‘exact same reason’ he and Meghan Markle left the royal family, royal commentator says
Harry’s relationships with Davy and Bonas reportedly ended, at least in part, due to them not wanting to be in the royal spotlight. They supposedly felt the pressure that would come along with being part of the royal family would simply be too much.
According to royal commentator Julie Montagu, things ended between them and Harry for the “exact same reason” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020.
“If you look back at Harry’s prior relationships, neither of those girls wanted to commit and now you’re wondering: Is that the exact same reason that Harry and Meghan have now left? Because of these exact reasons these two prior girlfriends did not want to marry into the royal family,” Montagu said during an interview on the UK’s Channel 5 documentary Harry and Meghan: Three Troubled Years, according to Yahoo Life.
Davy opened up about her and Harry’s split to The Times in 2016. She called the pressure and media attention “tough” to deal with, describing it as “so full-on” and “crazy scary and uncomfortable.”
It was when she attended the 2011 royal wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge as Harry’s date Davy realized once and for all, royal life would be too much. She didn’t like the media coverage surrounding the nuptials so Davy and Harry broke up. Only a few years later the same thing happened again. Bonas didn’t like the media attention and she and Harry split.
Why did Meghan Markle and Prince Harry leave the royal family?
At the end of March 2020 Meghan and Harry officially stepped back from their roles as senior royals. They bought a home in California where they now live with their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The couple’s expecting a daughter in the summer of 2021 and only recently did they finally speak out about why they left the royal family.
Meghan and Harry sat down for a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. The Duchess of Sussex revealed she had suicidal thoughts in early 2019. As for Harry, he later told Oprah in a separate interview he’d wanted to leave the royal family for years before he met Meghan. Ultimately, the often racist media coverage and treatment from other members of the royal family and “The Firm” led the couple to start a new chapter of their lives.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 to speak with a trained crisis counselor at the free Crisis Text Line.
