Prince Harry’s former girlfriend ‘feels lucky’ their relationship was short

The model briefly dated the Duke of Sussex in 2011

Florence St George has said she feels “lucky” that her relationship with Prince Harry was short-lived because she struggled to deal with the publicity.

The model, who briefly dated the Duke of Sussex in 2011, recalled their short-lived relationship in the latest issue of The Telegraph’s Stella magazine.

St George, 35, said the relationship brought a wave of scrutiny from the media and the public, and that her “privacy ended abruptly”.

“A new story would appear almost every day in the press, my school friends were interrogated and there were photographers outside my front door,” she recalled.

St George did not state why the pair broke up, only that she was “sad at the time”.

“I take my hat off to those people who can cope with that lifestyle, but I knew I couldn’t. Although it was sad at the time, I feel lucky that the relationship was short-lived,” she said.

The model has been married to Henry St George, the vice-president of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, since 2013.

The couple have two children; a daughter named Iris, 5, and a son named Jimmy, 3.

Also in the interview, St George spoke candidly about her struggles with mental health.

She revealed that she has suffered from anxiety since her teenage years, and was also diagnosed with postnatal depression after giving birth for the first time.

“As soon as I gave birth to my daughter Iris, we were in love. She was perfect and I felt an overwhelming protective instinct towards her,” she said.

“But that night, I also felt a chemical shift inside me. I’d be laughing and loving one minute, sobbing and angry the next.”

The mother of two said she became “lost in fear and worry”, and eventually sought help from a doctor after encouragement from her family.

“After seven long months I was diagnosed with postnatal depression. The doctor asked me what makes me happy, as a means of trying to diagnose me, and I couldn’t answer,” she recalled.

“Despite having a husband and baby that I deeply loved, I still couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually felt happy.”

She revealed that along with being prescribed medication, she had found comfort in pottery.

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“I forced myself to pick up the clay and start playing. The feel of the smooth, wet material was so calming,” she said.

“I made a tiny pinch pot – digging my thumb into the centre of the clay and slowly moulding it into shape. I was so absorbed in the task, and when I finished it, I felt a whoosh of positivity. For that moment, I felt like myself again.”

St George said working with the clay “felt like therapy” because it gave her a sense of accomplishment.

“The beauty of it was there were no specific rules – I could go anywhere with it.”