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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Katie Wilson

Prince Harry's celebrity love life - Love Island star, Caroline Flack and older woman

Prince Harry is married to actress Meghan Markle now – but the royal is no stranger to dating a famous lady.

Before the Duke of Sussex settled down he loved to party and has been linked to more than one female celebrity in his time.

Some he has publicly spoken about, like the late TV presenter Caroline Flack, who he dated in the Noughties.

Harry revealed the pair were indeed an item in his autobiography, Spare, but said they had to break things off when the public found out.

Others are rumoured flings from the worlds of sport, music and TV, as it is claimed Harry has hooked up with stars from both Love Island and TOWIE.

Harry has been with wife Meghan since 2016, but before that he had a string of famous girlfriends (Getty)

He is even said to have enjoyed a fling with an older woman from one of the Real Housewives shows.

As the Duke prepares to witness his father be crowned King Charles III and his step-mother crowned Queen Camilla, we take a look at some of his ex-girlfriends from over the years.

Caroline Flack

Prince Harry had a brief relationship with Caroline Flack in the Noughties (Getty Images)
Caroline often remained tight-lipped about their romance (PA)

In his autobiography Spare, Prince Harry recalls first meeting former Love Island host Caroline Flack at a restaurant during a night out with a mutual friend in 2009.

He described her as ‘funny, sweet and cool’ and revealed the pair did date for a bit.

But the couple decided to call it quits when their relationship was made public and ‘within hours a mob was camped outside Flack’s parent’s house, all her friends’ house and her grandparents’ house’.

Although they didn’t break up straight away, Harry said their romance was ‘tainted’ and that they both decided it wasn’t worth the ‘grief’, especially for Caroline’s family.

Caroline also wrote about Harry in her 2014 autobiography Storm in a C Cup saying: “I was no longer Caroline Flack, TV presenter, I was Caroline Flack, Prince Harry’s bit of rough.”

Tragically, Caroline took her own life in 2020 at the age of 40.

Her former agent Alex Mullen called for Harry to be stripped of his royal titles and branded him ‘gross’ for talking about his romance with ‘Carrie’ to increase his book sales.

Ellie Goulding

Prince Harry is said to have had a brief relationship with singer Ellie Goulding (Getty)
The pair are said to have been 'all over each other', but the romance didn't last (Getty)

Harry is said to have dated singer Ellie Goulding, who blushed in a throwback interview when she was asked if she was dating the royal.

The pair are said to have been ‘all over each other’ at a polo match back in 2016, just a few months before he met his wife, Meghan Markle.

They are understood to have shared a kiss and sent each other flirty texts after their friendship “stepped up a gear”.

A source told the Mirror at the time: "Harry and Ellie only had eyes for each other all night – they spent a lot of time sitting together under blankets.

"They were seen having a kiss before Harry had to go because he was playing polo the next day. Ellie left about five minutes later.

"Harry was overheard on the way out telling some friends how much he liked her."

Ellie, 36, has since married art dealer Caspar Jopling and they welcomed a son, Arthur, in 2021.

Mollie King

Harry was also linked to former The Saturdays star Mollie King (Nick Harvey/REX)
Harry is said to have broken things off over fears Mollie was being too open (STRMX)

Before meeting his wife Meghan, Harry appeared to have an interest in singers.

As well as Ellie, the prince was rumoured to be dating The Saturdays star Mollie King after meeting at a polo game in Surrey in 2012.

Mollie, who now presents a show on Radio 1, tried to throw fans off the scent by insisting the royal was ‘out of her league’.

She said at the time: “No, I'm not going out with him - I'm serious. Everyone wants to believe it because he's royalty. Everyone would like it to be true but it's not. He's very out of my league, come on."

Eventually, she came clean, telling Closer magazine: "Yes, I have met Harry, and we did go out for a drink. But a lot of the times I'm linked to men, I haven't even met them!"

Harry is rumoured to have broken things off amid fears that Mollie, now 35, was being too open.

Mollie is now in a relationship with England cricket star Stuart Broad and they welcomed their first child, a daughter called Annabella, in November 2022.

Lauren Pope

Harry is said to have had a fling with TOWIE star Lauren Pope (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
But Harry allegedly feared Lauren had sold a story on him so cut all ties (Getty)

Lauren Pope is known for being one of the cast members of The Only Way Is Essex – but her rise to fame could have come a lot sooner.

The reality TV star is said to have caught Prince Harry’s eye at celebrity club Chinawhite in February 2004 – six years before she would go on to star in TOWIE.

They are said to have hit it off and partied until 3am, but their romance was apparently short-lived as Harry thought Lauren had sold a story on him.

Speaking in 2012, Lauren claimed: “I now know that details about me and Harry were published because of phone hacking. I know for sure because police told me.”

A pal told the Daily Star newspaper: “It looked like Lauren had sold her story to make a quick buck, so it’s no surprise Harry cut all ties with her.

"They were starting to get really close and if things had carried on that way, Lauren really could have become a princess.”

Lauren, now 40, has since found love with London businessman Tony Keterman and the pair have two daughters, Raine and Leni.

Camilla Thurlow

Love Island star Camilla Thurlow remained tight lipped on her royal romance (Getty)
Harry is said to have 'fallen hard' for Camilla, but her reservations stopped love progressing (Getty)

Harry is said to have fallen hard for Love Island star Camilla Thurlow, who starred on the ITV dating show back in 2017.

But while Camilla didn’t deny she dated Hazza, she wouldn't share any of the dirty details, telling her villa mates 'a lady never tells'.

A source close to the pair was, however, happy to blab, claiming the romance was over before it began due to Camilla's lack of confidence.

The insider told Heat magazine: "Harry thought she was amazing and seemed to want something serious, but she refused to open up to him through fear of being rejected.

"It was Camilla's reservations that stopped their romance from going anywhere."

Camilla, now 33, came runner-up on Love Island with Jamie Jewitt. The pair have since got married and have two daughters together, Nell and Nora.

Catherine Ommanney

Prince Harry is said to have had a fling with Real Housewives of DC star Catherine Ommanney (Instagram)

It’s no secret that Prince Harry likes older women – he is rumoured to have lost his virginity to a mystery older woman when he was 17.

But one of the most surprising ladies to make this list is perhaps Real Housewives of DC star Catherine Ommanney.

The now 51-year-old met Harry in 2006 - when she was 34 and he was 21 - and according to her, they sealed the deal with a kiss on a night out.

"Harry lifted me off of the floor and kissed me," she confessed to Mail on Sunday. "It was a long and lovely kiss. He did kiss me again. It wasn't just once."

The pair allegedly enjoyed a string of dates before things fizzled out.

Natalie Pinkham

Harry with rumoured fling and close pal Natalie Pinkham, who he is said to have ghosted (REX/Shutterstock)

Prince Harry was just 19 when he is said to have fallen for his long-time pal, Formula One correspondent Natalie Pinkham.

The royal was apparently 'head over heels' for Natalie, now 45, and the pair are thought to have remained firm friends.

But things changed when he met Meghan and Harry is said to have ‘ghosted’ Natalie since settling down.

The TV presenter did not get an invite to Harry and Meghan’s 2018 wedding and was reportedly 'miffed' at her former drinking buddy’s behaviour.

A source told The Sun at the time: “She is quite rightly miffed. She has known Harry for years and was not only his drinking buddy, but his confidante.

“They were super close... when Harry got together with Meghan their relationship rapidly changed. It just went flat and noticeably cooled off.”

But the insider added: “Natalie feels Meghan is the sensible soulmate who will tame Harry’s wild side.”

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