Details About Prince Harry And Love Island Host Caroline Flack's Romance

When it comes to Prince Harry's ex-girlfriends, arguably the first to come to mind would be Chelsy Davy — or even, perhaps, Cressida Bonas. However, back in 2009, he was pictured with "Love Island" host Caroline Flack. So, just what happened between them?

As those following Harry's court case against Mirror Group Newspapers on allegations of hacking know, photos of the "Spare" author out and about with Flack were put on display for the world to see in 2009. Per The Guardian, the prince told the court that after several weeks of back and forth, Harry and Flack made plans to see each other in a group. However, upon their arrival at the meeting spot — his friend Mark Dyer's home — the paps were already on standby. And Harry claimed the photographers went a long way to keep themselves hidden. "They were hiding underneath a car," he said.

Soon after, the date became headline news — and the damage to any potential courtship was done. The prince and the presenter parted ways, and Harry has only recently spoken about it, as part of the court case. As for Flack, she also kept details about the situation vague, prior to her heartbreaking death in 2020. So, what did the two of them say? 

It's worth noting that, despite being photographed out together, Caroline Flack was open that she and Prince Harry were never in an actual relationship. In fact, in an interview on "This Morning," she laughed off the idea that if they hadn't been photographed on that fateful night, they might have gone the distance. "I've never said that I had a relationship with him, and I still don't say it in there," she chuckled, referring to her autobiography, "Storm in a C Cup."

That said, there's no denying that the press attention she and her family received in wake of the story had a major impact on Flack. In fact, in the book, she wrote that her entire public persona was turned upside down when the press alleged that she was a social climber. "It was absolutely horrible ... lurid headlines and claims that I had 'set my sights' on Prince Harry four years ago," she wrote. What's more, she added, "I lost my identity. I was no longer Caroline Flack, TV presenter, I was Caroline Flack, Prince Harry's bit of rough." 

Ultimately, once she learned that every one of her Facebook friends had been approached by the press, Flack went into hiding at her sister, Jody's house — and stopped working for a period. "I had never gone so long without a job," she recounted. Instead, she blocked out the lights in Jody's loft and slept through the days. 

Caroline Flack wasn't the only one to retreat after the pictures of her and Prince Harry were published. Like the TV personality, the Duke of Sussex became increasingly withdrawn and mistrustful of both Flack and Mark Dyer.

"Given the fact that only the three of us knew the plan, I was highly suspicious and convinced that someone had leaked the information to the press," he told the high court in London (via The Guardian). However, he's since changed his position. "I now believe this information had come from our voicemails — mine, Marko's or Caroline's," he said. Even so, he made sure to point out that in the immediate aftermath of the situation, he faced serious tumult. "The impact these kinds of stories had on my relationships cannot be underestimated. Even those I trusted the most, I ended up doubting," he said. 

Though Flack has since passed away, in an interview with Jeremy Vine, her mother, Christine, revealed that her daughter had also often grown suspicious of friends and family speaking to the press (via Evening Standard). And she made it clear that she was backing Prince Harry all the way. "I think Harry is doing it for everybody ... and I think he is very brave because he is getting such an awful lot of stick as well," she mused. Harry and Flack might never have been in a relationship, but they certainly went through a lot together.