The Bold Move: How Chelsy Davy's Public Breakup Infuriated Prince Harry
THE ROYAL ROMANCE THAT GOT AWAY: THE REAL STORY BEHIND CHELSY DAVY AND PRINCE HARRY'S TURBULENT RELATIONSHIP
It's been 15 years since Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy, the Zimbabwean beauty with a wealthy businessman father, went their separate ways. The relationship that had captured the world's attention for seven long years ended abruptly in 2010, leaving fans wondering what could have been if they had stayed together.
But as we delve deeper into the juicy details of their romance, it becomes clear that Chelsy was the one who truly got away from Harry. Despite his high-profile relationship with Meghan Markle, there's no denying that Chelsy left an indelible mark on the Prince's heart.
Their whirlwind romance began in 2004 during Harry's gap year travels to Zimbabwe, where Chelsy's millionaire father owns and runs a game reserve. The pair met, fell deeply in love, and embarked on a series of exciting adventures together. They even jetted off to South Africa with her family and danced the night away at the Diana memorial concert in 2007.
But behind closed doors, their relationship was far from perfect. Chelsy struggled with Harry's roving eye and the constant media attention that came with dating a royal. She would often find herself crying over the headlines about Harry's alleged antics at his favorite nightclubs like Boujis or Raffles. It seemed like no matter how hard she tried to keep up, she couldn't compete with the world's obsession with Prince Harry.
"Chelsy was fed up of just being Harry's girlfriend," a source close to the couple revealed. "She felt like she was making all the effort and he wasn't putting in enough. She wanted to be her own person, not just Prince Harry's girlfriend."
In his memoir Spare, Harry wrote about Chelsy with affection, describing her as someone who didn't care what others thought. He said, "I loved Chels's ease, that she wasn’t complicated... She didn’t care what anyone thought. She wore miniskirts and high-heeled boots, danced however she wanted, drank tequila like me, and all of this made me really happy."
But despite Harry's fond memories of their time together, it seems like Chelsy was ready to move on long before he was. In 2009, while Harry was training in the Air Force, Chelsy broke things off with him very publicly – changing her Facebook status to "Not in a relationship" and removing the blue topaz ring he had given her as a birthday present.
The news sent shockwaves through the media, with many speculating about what went wrong between the two. A friend of Chelsy's revealed that she was "lonely and desperately homesick," and felt like the relationship had run its course.
When asked about their breakup in an interview with Tatler in 2020, Chelsy reflected on her decision to end things: "I'm very happy with where I am right now. I'm happy with everything... I'm doing something in Africa that I'm passionate about and I'm excited for what my vision is and what that will create."
It seems like Chelsy has indeed moved on, finding happiness outside of the public eye. She's married to her boyfriend Sam Cutmore-Scott, a managing director at The Harper Hotel in Norfolk, and they have two beautiful children together.
But what about Harry? Did he ever think about rekindling things with his old flame? According to sources close to the couple, Harry did reach out to Chelsy after inviting her to his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018. An emotional phone call reportedly acted as closure for both parties.
However, Judi James, a body language expert, observed that Chelsy's feelings were evident during the ceremony: "When she arrived, everyone else was chatting and laughing, but she sat in the pews just looking to one side – gazing reflectively into space and biting her lips slightly. She was doing that at the end as well... It was almost like a soap opera part of the ceremony."
It's clear that Chelsy Davy is living her best life now, far removed from the drama and scrutiny that came with dating Prince Harry. As expert Richard Fitzwilliams told The Scholarly Note: "In his controversial memoir, Harry eulogises Chelsy as being a free spirit who didn't care about his royal connections... She has also never given interviews about their relationship."
So what's next for this intriguing pair? Will we see them reunited someday or is it truly the end of their romance? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure – the world will be watching with bated breath.
Sources:
- The Scholarly Note
- Vanity Fair's royal correspondent Katie Nicholl's book "The Making of a Royal Romance"
- Chelsy Davy's interview with Tatler in 2020