Years before he met his now wife Duchess Meghan, Prince Harry dated a string of lovely, well-to-do British women, many with whom he is still on good terms with to this day.
One of those fabulous women is British model and actress Cressida Bonas, 30, who dated Harry for two years, before they split in 2014. Just two years later, Harry would meet Meghan in London, and the rest is history.
But now Cressida has announced she is engaged to her long term partner Harry Wentworth-Stanley, who actually has some connections to royalty himself – Harry’s stepfather George, Marquess of Milford Haven, is the Queen’s cousin.
Harry announced the news on Instagram, posting a gorgeous selfie of the couple in Nantucket, Massachusetts, with the caption: “We getting married 😁”.
Cressida showed off her beautiful, unusual engagement ring in the cute photo – Harry certainly chose well!
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“We getting married,” Harry captioned this pic.
(Image: Instagram)Harry works as a real estate agent for the global real estate firm Savills, specialising in the “acquisition and disposal of residential and mixed-use development opportunities”, according to his employer’s website.
Cressida and Harry actually dated years before the stunning blonde was linked to Prince Harry, and reconnected after their high-profile split.
It’s believed Princess Eugenie actually introduced the couple in 2012.
Princess Eugenie (left) with Cressida, who reportedly introduced her friend to Prince Harry.
(Image: Getty)That royal connection between Harry and the Windsors is still evident today.
In fact, Kate and Pippa Middleton’s brother James was one of the first to congratulate the couple on their engagement, commenting “so wonderful”, alongside three heart emojis, on Harry’s post.
Harry’s family has also experienced tragedy very similar to that felt by Prince Harry and Prince William.
His brother James took his own life in 2006 and since then, his family have become advocates for male suicide and mental health, causes which of course are very close to the hearts of the Windsor royal family.
In June 2018, Harry’s family set up an organisation called James Place, a centre for men in suicidal crisis, with Prince William himself officially opening the centre, as you can see in the photo below.
Harry and Cressida pictured at a rugby match in 2014.
(Image: Getty)
The couple at the 2014 We Day UK event in London.
(Image: Getty)According to respected royal expert and Vanity Fair’s royal commentator Katie Nicholl, the reason why Cressida and Harry split was that she became overwhelmed with the reality of life as a royal.
In Nicholl’s book Harry: Life, Loss, and Love, she writes that watching Duchess Catherine and Prince William travel around New Zealand and Australia in 2014 with a then eight-month-old Prince George made her realise that kind of scrutiny and publicity was not for her.
“Cressida had been ‘completely spooked’ while watching TV coverage of William, Kate and George touring New Zealand and Australia that spring. There was no way she wanted that sort of attention and she told Harry so,” Nicholl wrote in her book.
WATCH BELOW: See some of Cressida Bones’ modelling work. Story continues after video.
Harry attempted to convince her otherwise, but was unsuccessful.
“He tried to convince her they could make it work, but Cressida’s mind was made up,” she wrote.
“Harry suffered a real blow when she said, ‘I can’t do this.’ I think she really broke his heart. Twice [Harry] had been left heartbroken because the women he had fallen in love with didn’t want to share the life he had been born into,” referring to Harry’s other ex Chelsy Davy, who also decided the life of a royal bride “was not for her”.
But this didn’t stop Harry from inviting Cressida to his 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle. The gorgeous 30-year-old looked stunning on the day in this pretty colourful frock.
Cressida looked happy and relaxed at Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018.
(Image: Getty)
Cressida wore a gorgeous bright dress and matching hat on the big day.
(Image: Getty)Writing in a column for the UK’s Spectator magazine, Cressida said the most stressful part about attending the nuptials was choosing the right hat to wear!
“Last weekend I attended the royal wedding. The invitation clearly stated that guests must wear hats. Yikes. I opted for a minimal feathered number and can only hope I got it right,” she wrote.
“Why do I find hats so tricky? Tricky to wear, tricky to look at, and extremely tricky for the poor soul sitting in the pew behind.
“Most of the time I avoid headgear. This can prompt disapproving looks from the older generations.”
Seems like she managed to nail it on the day!
Congratulations to Harry and Cressida.
