Prince Harry's former girlfriend, Florence St George (née Brudenell-Bruce), has revealed she feels "lucky" that their relationship didn't work out. The pair dated back in 2011, seven years before he started dating his now-wife Meghan Markle.
Speaking about the time she spent with the Duke of Sussex, Florence opened up about how the lack of privacy during their relationship impacted her mental health. "My privacy ended abruptly, and the scrutiny began," she told Stella magazine. "A new story would appear almost every day in the press, my school friends were interrogated and there were photographers outside my front door."
She continued: "I take my hat off to those people who can cope with that lifestyle, but I knew I couldn't. Although it was sad at the time, I feel lucky that the relationship was short-lived."
Since the pair called time on their brief relationship, Florence married vice-president of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Henry St George. She now lives in the Bahamas with her husband and their two children, Iris (7) and Jimmy (3).
A dislike for the lack of privacy and unwarranted media attention that comes with being a Royal is something Harry's ex-girlfriend and his wife Meghan can certainly agree on. Since her relationship with the 37-year-old Royal began three years ago, The Duchess of Sussex has spoken out many times about public and press intrusion into their life.
Earlier this year, she notably won a High Court privacy and copyright case against the Mail on Sunday, after the newspaper published a private letter she wrote to her dad, Thomas Markle, shortly after her wedding in 2018. However, the ruling has since been appealed, with Meghan's former secretary Jason Knauf coming forward to give evidence against her.
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At the centre of increasing public scrutiny and media attention, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced last year that they intended to step down as Senior Royals – and therefore, somewhat out of the spotlight. "After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution," they wrote on their official Instagram account.
"We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment."
Since then, the duo moved to California, where they reside with their two children.
