Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas has broken her silence on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to step down as senior members of the royal family.
Harry and Cressida, 30, were first introduced by Princess Eugenie in 2012 and dated for two years, before announcing they had called it quits in April 2014.
It’s believed the intense pressure and enormity of life as an official member of the royal family was what led to the couple’s break-up – an issue that has clearly also proved problematic for Harry’s wife Meghan Markle.
But the pair have remained on friendly terms over the years, with Cressida even attending Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.
And now Cressida, who is an actress and also has her own podcast called Fear Itself, has broken her silence on Harry and Meghan’s decision to part ways with the royal family.
The star of UK network ITV’s new crime drama White House Farm says she is frustrated at “always” being asked about her relationship with Prince Harry, and wants to move on with that part of her life.
“No one likes to be labelled. The hurdles for me are when I’m trying to do my work and people want to talk about him. I work very hard and love what I do but it is still something I have to contend with,” she told the Evening Standard’s magazine.
When asked if she empathised with Meghan and the scrutiny she has received by the press, Cressida responded: “I wouldn’t take a position on that because it would be a headline. Also out of respect. It feels like a long time ago. When it comes up it feels strange because I’m in a different place.”
Cressida says she is sick of being asked about her relationship with Prince Harry.
(Credit: Getty)Since Harry’s break-ups from both Cressida and another ex, Chelsy Davy, whom he dated on-and-off between 2004 and 2010, we’ve learned that it was the brutal public and media spotlights, plus the intense obligations required as a partner of the Prince, that ultimately led to the end of both these relationships.
In fact, it is believed that one of the key reasons why Chelsy Davy split with Harry was the spectacle that was Prince William and Duchess Catherine’s wedding in 2011. That was supposedly the nail in the coffin.
“A friend revealed that seeing the enormity and pomp of the [2011 royal wedding] convinced Chelsy that she and Harry had been right to separate,” royal biographer Angela Levin wrote.
Cressida reportedly had a similar experience.
According to another respected royal writer Katie Nicholl, the British actress was “spooked” by the amount of attention on William and Kate – particularly apparent during their 2014 tour of New Zealand and Australia.
“Cressida had been ‘completely spooked’ while watching TV coverage of William, Kate and George touring New Zealand and Australia that spring,” Katie penned.
“There was no way she wanted that sort of attention and she told Harry so.”
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Cressida is now an up-and-coming actress.
(Credit: Getty)But Cressida has now well and truly moved on from Harry.
She is engaged to her partner Harry Wentworth-Stanley, and forging ahead with her promising acting career.
Though it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the daughter of Sixties “It girl” Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon and entrepreneur Jeffrey Bonas.
Cressida told ES magazine that she was “afraid of failure” at the start of her acting career – a struggle which inspired her to create her podcast about fear and failing.
“It came from thinking about fear in my own life, how it has held me back but also pushed me forward,” she said of her side-project.
“I have anxious thoughts and I was afraid of failure. I started writing these fears in a journal and thought it would be interesting to make a recording about them, talking to people about fear and how it can motivate them.”
WATCH BELOW: Prince Harry gets giddy with excitement when he’s referred to as a “husband”. Story continues after video.
And the woman who made her film debut in now disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2017 movie Tulip Fever, also opened up about her experience with the alleged sexual harrasser.
“He didn’t do anything weird,” she said.
“What has happened since is such a progression, there is a lot more care being taken on set.”
