The Hallmark Star Who Claims She Almost Romanced Prince Harry

Love her or hate her, Meghan Markle still clinched her fairytale ending with Prince Charming — well, Prince Harry, but you get the idea. However, long before she rolled up to St. George's Chapel in that head-turning Clare Waight Keller gown, another dame reportedly had a chance with the Duke of Sussex. What's more surprising is that she, too, is an actor — albeit from the family-friendly Hallmark Channel, not the edgier network that brought us "Suits."

Okay, when we mentioned a "fairytale ending" earlier, we might have been stretching the truth. Their happily ever after has been anything but. First, Prince Harry and Markle reportedly fell out of favor with Oprah, and then, almost inexplicably, Spencer Pratt washed up to claim she and Prince Harry were living separate lives. But things might have played out a little differently should Prince Harry have had his way with another leading lady. According to ET, long before he traded a life of royal service for — well, whatever it is he does now — Hallmark star Katie Cassidy turned down the royal's invitation for a night out on the town. And once you hear her reason, you'll totally get why.

So, what exactly happened between the controversial royal and the "A Royal Christmas Crush" star?

He may be fifth in line for the royal throne, but there's a good reason why Prince Harry didn't get a chance at being the King of Katie Cassidy's heart. It all unfolded about a decade ago on the white-sanded beaches of Miami, Florida, when the "Cover Versions" star had a chance encounter with one of the world's most sought-after bachelors.

"I was just there with some of my girlfriends, we had just finished shooting [Arrow], we were on vacation," she dished to ET. "He had come with some of his friends ... one of his friends, I think, was getting married, so he was a part of the bachelor party. They were sorta on a bachelor weekend, and they were, like, 'Hey. You guys should come out with us.'" While most of us might have swooned over such a picture-perfect meet-cute, Cassidy had no plans to paint the town red with the prince — even though she was the only single one in her friend group. 

So, why the cold shoulder for the steamy prince? As she explained, "[They] were like, 'You guys should come out with us tonight.' I was like, 'Uh, no. With all due respect, Prince Harry, that's the last thing I'm gonna do — be photographed.'" Although she nixed the night out to maintain her privacy, she had only positive things to say about the charming royal. 

Despite passing on a chance with the royal, Katie Cassidy had only kind words for Prince Harry. During her chat with ET, the "Arrow" star praised the Duke of Sussex, describing him as "the most loveliest, kindest person." Clearly, there were no hard feelings, and the vibes on that Miami beach remained amicable. In fact, the next day, Cassidy ran into Prince Harry, and it was all smiles and pleasantries. "We saw him the next day at the pool and [he was] respect[ful]. Like, 'You guys are cool. OK, we get it.' And I was like, 'Sorry!'" she explained.

Of course, Prince Harry eventually married Meghan Markle in 2018, while Cassidy tied the knot with a man named Matthew Rodgers that same year. Unfortunately, their marriage didn't stand the test of time, and the actor filed for divorce a couple of years later. But, in a twist straight out of a Hallmark movie, Cassidy kindled a romance with Canadian actor Stephen Huszar on the set of Hallmark's "A Royal Christmas Crush" in 2023 — and it seems the two are still going strong. She even took to Instagram to share a cute shot of him planting a kiss on her cheek during a spring ski trip.

On sparking a romance with her co-star, Cassidy told Us Weekly, "When chemistry is there, it's just there," and we're totally here for it.