By almost any metric, Prince Harry is a catch. He’s rich, he’s attractive, he’s got a great body, and people always say that he’s a sweet guy, very kind and considerate and loyal. He’s also not the heir, so there’s not as much pressure for him to find a wife who ticks off every single box, you know? But Harry’s love life has just been in a state of perpetual messiness for the past three years especially. I go back and forth on this, actually. I don’t doubt that there’s a wide variety of eligible young women throwing themselves into his path, so Harry definitely has options. But I think he isn’t particularly attracted to those eligible, royal-approved women, and I think he’s sort of comfortable being seen as Poor Harry, the Bridget Jones of the Windsors. Like, I think it might even be how he picks up women. The Daily Mail’s gossip girl, Girl About Town, had this item over the weekend:
Poor Prince Harry! The pressure on him to find a girl and settle down has ratcheted up yet another notch after one of his last single party-loving pals got engaged.
Tom Inskip, 29, who down the years has fallen out of clubs all over the world with Harry, is to marry flame-haired literary agent Lara Hughes-Young, also 29, after a three-year romance.
Harry, 31, even admitted feeling lovelorn to Essex girl Denise Van Outen at their friend Anneke von Trotha Taylor’s birthday party in London last week. Flirty Harry told Denise: ‘I’m not dating and for the first time ever I want to find a wife.’
So… he’s not dating? At all? Not even his distant cousin Princess Maria-Olympia? I bet he has a lot of hookups though. And I also bet that this is one of his pick-up lines. Don’t you think? “I’m such a sad princeling, all I want is a wife!” That would work on a lot of women. It would probably work on me, if I’m being honest. So, should we actually feel sorry for Harry because he can’t find a wife? Or should we side-eye him because he never wants to date the ladies who are actually “wife material”?
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
I’m taken, but I know the lineup today is going to be epic.
My husband didn’t get married until 39, and I think that one reason he’s such a great husband is that he was really ready and enthusiastic about being married. I think that can happen at a younger age, but you can’t force it. Leave him alone. Why should he marry before he finds the right person?
Right?! We haven’t even been on a second date yet. I’m not trying to rush him.
🙂
Good girl! Play it cool!
LMAO!
@GoodNames co-signing your whole post. Great points!
And I bet Prince Harry’s pick up line is just entering a room.
Agree GNAT.
GNAT, My huz was older too and giddy with excitement when the time came to settle down. Harry needs to wait until he’s truly ready or he’ll likely regret it.
Yeah, but Charles was older too, and look how THAT worked out.
Good point for sure! But some people get more “set in their ways” the longer they stay single, and then have a hard time adjusting to a partnership. Also…he’s losing his hair. Just sayin’.
Harry appears to be a smart and likeable guy. He knows what he is doing. He’ll marry when he is ready. Why should he settle down now?
A friend’s dad is a very successful, upper-end divorce attorney. He told my friend and her two siblings when they were in the later teens/early 20s: “Much of what we have is the result of people who thought they needed to get married by a certain age, or like everyone else, or because they wanted kids, or for other certain reasons, instead of waiting for real love and companionship, shared goals, operating from the heart and being realistic.”
They got the message. One married about 23 happily, no problems. But the other two waited until their mid-30s, and again, found love,, doing well. Take your time, Harry.
His father was in his 30’s when he married Diana. He could have been married if he wanted to be. He will when he’s ready. He seems adorable, but a ginge makes me cringe. His lady is waiting, but hope he waits till he’s ready.
That is gingist!
@spidey: Lol….sorry. Just not a fan of the red, but he is a cutie!
Lol @Spidey
Yes, Ginger men are a very specific taste. I happen to think Harry is quite attractive; I can’t imagine him being anything other than a Ginge.
While being mature is a prerequisite for a happy marriage, finding the right person is even more important. Even in the 80’s it was obvious to many of us that Charles and Diana were a bad fit. They had nothing in common, and his numerical maturity had nothing to do with emotional maturity. He needed ( and I suspect, needs to this day) to be coddled and fussed over, made the center of attention. He needed a mother figure, and because he wouldn’t stand up to his family’s pressure, married a girl who was at least as needy as he. I hope Harry has learned from his parents (and his brother’s?) mistakes.
I never bought the fairytale BS put out when Charles and Di got engaged. I was 2 years older than her and I thought: “WTF? That boring old goat?” When they were interviewed after they got engaged and were asked if they were in love and Charles replied “Whatever love is…” I literally cringed and yelled at the TV for Diana to run NOW. That marriage was doomed.
From the looks of that backside picture, he’s going to be bald in about 20 minutes. So his hair won’t be an issue- whether or not you’re a gingist!
Doubt you’d be his type either, Nancy!! He has a very specific taste too.
@Lou: Lol. Good thing because my husband doesn’t allow me to date!!
It’s OK. He’ll be bald soon enough.
What the hell is “wife material?” Somebody who is compatible with you, loves you, is reasonably responsible, and wants to be with you and marry you is wife material, plain and simple.
And why are a lawyer and an actress/dancer not considered “wife material” by some of his “fans”?
A guy once told me that I am “wife material”. I found it gravely insulting! Particularly as it was clear he wouldnt date me just then because he was busy having fun with the “non wife material”.
I’m so here for this comment! Yaaaas, girl.
IKR…what an anachronistic expression – “wife material” – that’s someone who is pretty but not sexual. Someone who cooks and bakes, belongs to various women’s groups, has a mid-level job but nothing too elite (i.e. her husband-to-be should always make more money than she), loves babies and decorating, and always attends her man’s various sporting events with an adoring look on her face even though she actually hates all sports.
@jaded that sounds like a quick route to suicide doesn’t it?
What an odd definition of “wife material.” In my world “wife material” is someone who is mature enough for the responsibilities that go with marriage, grounded, intelligent and low drama. That’s also my definition of “husband material.”
SamiHami
That’s how i understood it too. Being “wife/husband material” is a compliment.
She will have to give up some privacy and deal with royal life. Not quite the same as us regulars.
Who are these people named Van Outen and Von Trouten Taylor? Is this the wife pool – hyphenized names? Maybe he is waiting for someone named Jones. Or Smith.
No… i think that’s some of the issue- Harry likes the longer named socialites….he just can’t seem to convince one to marry him.
I’ll admit to a soft spot for Harry. And let’s be honest here- the odds are quite in his favor he’ll get married when he’s ready.
I half expected a Gussie Spink-Nottle or a Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright in that mix, P.G. Wodehouse’s world is real!
Haha!! So true (and I thought I was the only one here who loves old P.G.!)
Surely there is a Turnip Toff available, right?
The Turnip Toffs are William’s speed.
Harry’s circle is wider than William’s circle.
Wow…even he has a bald spot now.
It is amazing he hasn’t had a pregnancy scare, right? He seems like the type, but he probably doubles up.
I’m sure the palace has a process to shut that sh*t right down. I am sure it has happened – if not with him, with one of the other royals.
Like the one caught in flagrante delicto on CCTV in a club stairwell? Jason’s predecessors scrubbed a lot of William’s antics from the internet. Merely one example.
I’m sure you’re right, Suze! His security officer probably carries around legal documents for Harry’s romp partners to sign on the spot.
I think Harry wants the family ie a wife and children but he doesn’t want the day to day responsibilities. Harry, it seems, still wants to play ie sign up for various events etc for charity which perhaps require long periods of time away and perhaps now and then he wants to be able to go suddenly for personal trips away with friends. It can be done Harry- you can have the family and personal freedom; you just need a very understanding and accepting wife and in-laws and perhaps you will find yourself in that situation someday? But I’m a firm believer that whatever happens, it will happen when it’s meant to happen.
He worked a solid 10 years in the Army, which (unless you’re the Golden Heir) requires you show up and get the job done. Now he volunteers 3 days a week with wounded veterans. He started a charity at age 19 and it is still going strong with his support and hard work.
I don’t think he’s the brother with the lack of commitment or follow-through issues. See William’s scattered work resume, 3-4 gap years, and Middleton’s remarks about William being absent for the first six months of their son’s life.
We don’t need another Windsor married to the wrong person because they thought they had to get married by a certain age.
Perhaps the Middleton power is at play with this situation? I mean, whomever Harry chooses to marry will have to find a way to get along with the Middletons to some extent? The European aristocracy aware of it and likely quite turned off by it. I feel for Harry on that specifically.
Just lost what I typed! I don’t see his brother’s in-laws being part of his life. William and Harry do not vacation together, so unlikely he’ll be on the slopes or at the beach with the Middletons. If he chooses to live near Highgrove instead of at Sandringham, their kids and in-laws won’t be thrown together.
His wife will be attacked from all sides to try to make Middleton look good (heir vs. spare, Diana vs. Fergie). If he ever suspects the Middletons and their PR as being behind any of it? That may be when he finally stops putting his brother and his brother’s PR ahead of himself — if his own wife and family were attacked by the Middleton PR minions.
Would the palace or the Middletons be behind attempts to make Will & Katie Bucket look good by trashing Harry & his wife?
Bess
Maybe, but it would happen anyways. Don’t you know 2 women cannot be friends? They must hate and envy always ! ;P
Odds are Harry’s chosen wife will share his passions of hard work for causes. This will reflect poorly on Kate and just as we see now someone will have to be sacrificed for the good of the Heir and by association his family.
I don’t like it, but there’s a very long history of this practice.
Seems to me like the original comment was saying he does have these commitments with charities that might get in the way of family life. I don’t think anyone doubts Harry’s ability to stick with a job for the duration required once he commits to it. He does quite a bit of travel for charity and I’d imagine that things also get quite busy in the run-up to some of the events he works heavily on (e.g. Invictus Games). Some women might be less okay with this (especially with small children), or Harry may simply feel that he’d want to be able to commit more time to wife/family than would currently be possible with his work/charity commitments.
Overall I’d guess he just needs to meet the “right” person and when that happens, marriage will seem like the logical next step. So far he seems to be fooling around a lot and not putting much effort into it so I guess it doesn’t bother him that much. He’s only 30, which is not exactly ancient, though if he wants kids he should probably get himself sorted within the next few years, otherwise he’ll be stuck creeping on women much younger than him (have seen this happen with a few male friends….if you don’t lock a wife down by about 35, the selection in your age range drops precipitously, and dating 25-year olds is not always as appealing a prospect as Leo DiCaprio might have you believe).
He’s still not ready. He will cheat. He needs a few more years before he settles down and starts a family.
I side eye Harry so much. I think he wants to find a wife about as much as I want to have a pet tarantula (in other words, not at all). There really is not much pressure on him to marry now that William is and William has two children. I think you are right Jayna, Harry does not come across to me as a guy who wants to settle down, is ready to marry and I think if he did-he would cheat.
I really do not get the fuss over Harry..he’s just meh to me.
i never understood this “playing the field before you settle down”. do people really think if a very attractive women hits on your husband he is going to be “hey, i already had a lot of sex when i was young, thats enough!” and not sleep with her? you cant screw away your attraction to other people.
I disagree Esther. I think it’s very important to sow one’s oats before one marries. It just loses its excitement when you’ve already been in that position many times over (puns unintended lol). My husband and I married at 37 and we were very much ready at that point to commit to one person. Singlehood, as fun as it is, gets old for a lot of people.
I hate the term sowing oats. I’m not interested in sowing my oats and i’d like to find a man who isn’t a sexist number counting ape. Just like how men don’t value a women who sleeps around. I’m sick of this double standard. Not every guy wants to screw every thing that moves. I’d rather have someone with a lower sex drive if I have to have a choice.
Fiona, when I used the term “sowing oats,” I wasn’t just referring to men. My husband and I both had very full social lives and dated a lot and we didn’t judge one another for our past indiscretions, if you will. Again, we were both 37 and did a lot of living in those years 🙂
I don’t remember reading stories about Harry having a wandering eye. He was with one person for 7 years, another for 2, and none of the rumors around those ending were about cheating. Why assume that Harry would cheat on a wife, when that has never been the narrative in his previous relationships? William’s cheating ways are well-documented.
That’s very surprising, because I’ve seen it mentioned here and there that Harry has William’s same problem with fidelity. Which makes sense when you think about it – the guy’s a total catch, why does it seem that the women in his social circle are running the other way? But I’ve seen it referenced as one of his huge issues with Chelsy. Nothing hard or concrete, but enough references to Harry having the same fidelity problem his big brother has.
With William, I’ve seen the info multiple places that he constantly dumped KM to chase other women. Quotes from their own set about his behavior and her mean girling any woman near him. The only place I’ve seen a cheating rumor about Harry is here in these threads. The main rumor about Chelsy was that she didn’t want the royal life, not that Harry was unfaithful.
Women were said to run from William because they didn’t want William. The stories of his pick up lines and club behavior show a boorish man who thinks he is All That. Even if they think Harry is more appealing, why would a woman want to spend the rest of her life as Fleet Street’s favorite pinata?
I wasn’t exactly referencing this board as where I’ve seen it alluded to.
If he’s a Royal, he will cheat on his wife. Period.
Whoever marries him should anticipate this in addition to all the privileges she will enjoy.
Haz call me. Lol
He’ll find the right woman and get married in his own time he’s still young. As long as she’s NOT Waity part deux I don’t have a care on who she is.
I think the massive amount of media attention & the high likelihood of cheating are what would keep a sane & smart woman from marrying Harry.
Well, we know he loves children, so I’m not surprised he is perhaps ready to settle down. I am certain he will meet the right woman and get married in due time.
I personally feel Harry has too much integrity to get married to then cheat on his wife. Maybe I’m delusional because I have a huge crush on him but I don’t picture him as the cheating husband type. Oh, to be young, blonde, aristo and in Harry’s social circle…
Harry by all accounts never cheated on any of this girlfriends, unlike big brother who cheated on Kate continuously all throu the GF years and has been whitewashed by the press.
Oh Betti, I wish I could read up on all those old stories about Wills. Are they really no where to be found?
They’re tough to find now. Links go to 404 not found pages. At times you can find the link and description in a web search only to see the link is dead.
This is why following as it goes pays off.
It’s almost even been scrubbed WK even broke up more than the time pre engagement. Or that Kate was the girl on the side as she pursued William when he was not single.
Meanwhile Harry has nearly all of his missteps published yet we haven’t heard much of his cheating so it stands to reason he might not cheat.
Thanks FLORC. That’s a shame. I didn’t pay much attention to royal gossip during those years. Do you suppose he has someone on the side now? I heard after the spare is born, they tend to stray.
thelazynioness
As I understand it the husband can stray whenever, but is encouraged to get atleast 1 kid in before doing so. The wife has to get 2 kids in before straying so there’s no scandal. And must be discreet. Both sides accept this and as long as there’s no scandal or public attention it’s understood they all swing.
Regarding William. It was an open secret he got around and had a wandering eye. I doubt he has 1 on the side. maybe just trusted pieces.
There was a pretty thorough Vanity Fair write up of William’s dating history, done before ‘The Wedding’
Skippy isn’t the last of his friends to marry. Out of a crowd of 7 guys, only two are married. Skippy will be the third to marry. And one is currently separated.
Which one got separated? I’m assuming Jake Warren and Guy Pelly are still with their wives.
Thomas van Straubenzee and Missy Percy are rumored to be getting divorced. Was that the friend you meant, LAK?
I suppose it’s the Van Chimpanzee guy.
Edit: did not see your comment, notasugarhere! Sorry!
Nota: Yep. Separation was last autumn I believe.
Lilix40: I can’t be bothered to remember his proper name so I end up calling him Thomas Van Strawberry! 🙂
I always shipped Jake Warren and Eugenie.
….but Jake appears to be settled to happy domesticity with someone else. IIRC, he’s just become a father of twins.
That’s a good one too, LAK 😉
Wow, that was awfully fast! They’ve only been married for a couple of years.
You know what would be amazingly surprising and refreshing? If he ends up with a brunette, not aristocrat but cultured and interesting woman. That would be something, going against what people expect from him.
Bless him, what a great start to my week with a Prince Harry post! 🙂
Did the rest of you see this last week?
Daily Mail January 19, 2016
Duchess of Cambridge’s favourite maternity brand teams up with the Diana Award to create a children’s range inspired by Princess Charlotte
“Curated baby wear line in exclusive partnership with the Diana Award”
Using his mother and their daughter for PR – but wait, the money is for charity so we’re supposed to this this isn’t trading on Diana’s memory for good PR. Comments on this DM article were shut down quickly, and I haven’t seen the royal reporters tweeting about it.
Saw headline, didn’t bother reading the article because I assumed I was an unsanctioned designer wanting to make money off them.
….but now you’ve laid it out, i’m speechless. They hold the rights to Diana’s name – The Diana foundation (or whatever it called it self) handed all rights to them before it shut down, so this is a straightforward merchandising of her name + daughter’s name.
No wonder they trademarked their titles.
So, after overhead some will go to charity right?
And I understand overhead can be 99% of the profits.
Or is this just pure profit on the names of Charlotte and Diana? Because that’s shameless
The designer admits the Diana Award approached HER, not the other way around. The Diana Award is the only thing with her name on it and it is one of the few things William supports. They couldn’t make this line of clothing if William hadn’t given his approval for the use of his mother’s and daughter’s names. I doubt Harry was asked.
FLORC, according to the article “In honour of the late Princess of Wales, 12 per cent of sales will be donated to support the charity, which helps young people who are working to transform their communities.” It could be 12 percent after overhead is taken out, it isn’t clear.
Nota
I suspect the 12% would be what’s left after everything is out.
Something that bothers me about some charities.
After overhead/expenses. The charity can give only a percentage of that leftover fund to charity. Not just what’s left over in full.
So if 80% of the donations go to overhead. 20% is left. They can still only donate directly 12% of that final 20%. The rest can go into a high interest account. Since they’re not profiting immediately it’s a loophole. Shady.
Although, maybe they can’t do that in the UK?
I hope whoever he marries has some spunk and does her own thing, id like to see the BRF get all in a hissy and trying to reign her in and she just revolts.
I think he and Bindy Irwin should date.
Well he’s white, and he’ll probably Marry a white girl, so I guess all you yanks think he’s racist