What Prince Harry's Famous Ex Urged Him To Do During Their Relationship

Prince Harry's dating history landed him in the spotlight many times over before he met and married Meghan Markle in 2018 — an event watched the world over. Harry notably dated Chelsy Davy, a businesswoman who hails from Zimbabwe, for several years — the pair's on-and-off relationship was a frequent source of tabloid attention, as the two broke up and reunited more than once between 2004 and 2011 (per Harper's Bazaar). 

Davy eventually broke her silence on their vacillating romance in 2016, when she told the Times (via the Daily Mail) that she "couldn't cope" with the intense media scrutiny surrounding their relationship. Davy went on to say, "I was trying to be a normal kid and it was horrible."

During her interview with the Times, Davy did say that she's still on good terms with the Duke of Sussex, proving that their breakup was good-natured even if the attention surrounding their relationship was taxing. But she was not the only woman who got an inside look at Harry's unusual life.

Following his breakup with Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry went on to publicly date Cressida Bonas from 2012 to 2014 (per Harper's Bazaar). Bonas, an aristocrat native to the U.K., seemed like she was in it for the long haul, but reportedly felt the pressure that accompanies life while dating a famous royal.

Bonas' split from Prince Harry was allegedly as amicable as can be, as she attended Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018 (via E! News). But now, Harry's famous ex is making headlines once again after new details have come to light regarding a request she reportedly made to the royal during their relationship.

According to Tina Brown's new book, "The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor — the Truth and the Turmoil," Prince Harry's ex, Cressida Bonas, reportedly urged Harry to go to therapy while the two were still dating (via Fox News). 

But did the younger son of Princess Diana listen to this advice?

Tina Brown shares more about Cressida Bonas' relationship with Prince Harry in her new book, writing, "there was a general agreement that Ms. Bonas had all the makings of a perfect partner for Harry, who was madly in love with her" (via Fox News). Despite this assumption, the picture-perfect couple parted ways several years before he eventually settled down with Meghan Markle.

Though their romance was unsuccessful, Brown claims that it was Bonas who first encouraged the Duke of Sussex to attend therapy. As Brown reports in her book, "His outbursts were ever more frequent and childlike. He took up boxing because, as he later said, he was always 'on the verge of punching somebody.' Cressida began to have serious worries about his mental health." It was these worries that apparently prompted Bonas to encourage Harry to speak with a therapist about his mental well being.

Speaking of the matter, the Vanity Fair editor said, "It is not widely known that it was she [Bonas] who first persuaded Harry to see a therapist." Indeed, the Invictus Games founder's ex likely planted a seed that would later grow into action.

Prince Harry, who reportedly embraced the process of going through therapy on camera years later, has been a vocal supporter of mental health initiatives since marrying Meghan Markle, becoming a father and relocating from London to California — as well as leaving the royal family.

But let's consider that Cressida Bonas' suggestion likely made a positive impact on the Duke's life. Indeed, although Harry has said he used to fear therapy, he eventually confided in a docuseries with Oprah Winfrey that counseling is viewed differently in California versus England and that, "It was meeting and being with Meghan, I knew that if I didn't do therapy and fix myself, that I was going to lose this woman who I could see spending the rest of my life with" (via People).

Prince Harry added that when you "go back" and face challenging circumstances from your past, you can move forward. He even goes so far as to say that he thinks therapy is the reason his marriage to Markle is still intact.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.