From Diana’s sister to his OWN cousin: The 21 beauties dated by Prince Charles REVEALED
Prince Charles hooked up with 21 women during a decade of dating before marrying Princess Diana 36 years ago today.
The Prince of Wales went on a colourful search for a wife he didn’t want from 1970 – but in all the wrong places.
He’d already met the love of his life at the turn of the decade, Camilla Shand, but she was deemed not aristocratic enough to marry him.
Under pressure from above to find a wife, Charles embarked on a mission which saw him date Diana’s own sister, Mick Jagger’s ex girlfriend and his own second cousin.
He famously flirted with Shelia Ferguson, the American singer from The Three Degrees, but mainly focused on the strands of aristocracy.
Charles eventually married Diana, who would capture hearts around the world, before returning to true love Camilla in an affair that shook the Monarchy.
He and Diana, who had two children together – Princes William and Harry – would divorce, before she died in a horror car crash in Paris with her new found love Dodi Fayed.
Charles’ quest for love, despite his heart being taken by Camilla, who had married Andrew Parker Bowles in1972, had started with Caroline Longman.
But the potential future Princess, the grand-daughter of the 10th Earl of Cavan, wasn’t to be, and she went on to marry another man.
Charles’ attention then turned to Lady Harper, an Australian socialite who was famously known as “Kanga” – the pet name given to her by the Prince.
She was described as “beautiful, feisty and devoted”, but even her sparkly personality wasn’t enough for Charles.
She would marry, but die of septicaemia aged 49.
The romances then continued to flutter in, including Laura Watkins, the daughter of a US Rear Admiral, who was invited to Charles’ maiden speech in the House of Lords.
But there was never a chance, with The Telegraph reporting the couples’ romance fizzled out after a weekend in Deauville.
Next in line was Lady Angela Nevill, the daughter of the private secretary to Prince Philip – Charles’ dad.
In her job as a private art dealer, she handled deals worth up to £50 million.
But the love wasn’t there either, and the Prince turned his attention to Lady Jane Grosvenor, the daughter of the 5th Duke of Westminster, before he dated Lady Camilla Fane, the daughter of the Queen’s Master of the Horse.
In quick succession, the romances came and went, and included Rosie Clifton, a Colonel’s daughter, Lady Caroline Percy, the daughter of the 10th Duke of Northumberland and Lady Bettina Lindsay, daughter of the 29th Earl of Crawford.
Next was Lady Henrietta Fitzroy, daughter of the 11th Duke of Grafton and whose mother was one of the Queen’s closest friends.
The Prince then hooked up with Fiona Watson, daughter of a racing peer, but her chances of becoming Princess of Wales were dashed with the revelation she exposed her figure in a magazine.
So it was on to Lady Russell, daughter of a former ambassador, then Lady Kerr, daughter of the 12th Marquess of Lothian.
At this point along came Lady Sarah Spencer, daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer, who was the sister to Princess Diana – his eventual wife.
Rumours say the Prince called their relationship off after 22-year-old Sarah spilled the gossip about their relationship – as well as her previous alcoholism and her anorexia – to two reporters.
One of the reporters, James Whittaker, once told the Daily Mirror that Sarah had said to him she would not marry Charles “if he were the dustman or the King of England”.
It is reported that at some point afterwards Sarah introduced Charles to her sister Diana, but he didn’t take a shine to her at first.
So his search for love continued, and included actress Susan George, Davina Morley, granddaughter of the 1st Lord McGowan and then Lady Jane Wellesley, daughter of the 8th Duke of Wellington.
It was Lady Wellesley who unfortunately snapped under the media spotlight when, once asked if she was planing to marry Charles, she said: “Do you honestly believe I want to be Queen?”
Sabrina Guinness was Charles’ next romance, the granddaughter of Sir Arthur Guinness. She was one of the Princes’ liveliest fancies, and had previously dated Mick Jagger, Jack Nicholson, Rod Stewart and David Bowie.
But she was famously snubbed by Prince Philip after she complained that the transport taking her to Balmoral was a Black Maria, to which he said: “Well, you’d know all about Black Marias, wouldn’t you?”
Charles would next meet Lady Amanda Knatchbull, whose mother Patricia Knatchbull, the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, was the Queen’s third cousin and Charles’ godmother.
This meant Amanda was Charles’ second cousin, but nevertheless he asked her to marry him after they holidayed in the Bahamas together, but her heart wasn’t in it and she rejected him.
It was finally on to Anna Wallace, daughter of a Scottish landowner, who Charles also asked to marry, but she would walk away due to their other love interests.
She famously said at a Windsor Castle ball for the Queen Mother: “I’ve never been treated so badly in my life”.
This would be the final fling for Charles before he met Diana a second time, finally fell for her and took her hand in marriage.
But, still madly in love with Camilla, his marriage would break down and he would eventually end up with Camilla, who is now set to be the next Queen.
But judging by the reaction to Daily Star Online’s exclusive interview with a Royal Butler who has tipped Camilla to take the throne, the public won’t take the move lightly.
Source: EXPRESS CO UK
Tags: Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Duke of Grafton
