Before marrying Meghan Markle, Prince Harry dated actress and model Cressida Bonas. They were in a relationship for two years, dating from 2012 to 2014. While they dated, the two had cringy nicknames for one another that we just can’t get over – “Ken and Barbie.”
Harry and Bonas were destined to meet. Since the actress had a posh upbringing thanks to her parents – her mom, Lady Mary Gaye Curzon, is heir to the Curzon banking business and her dad, Jeffrey Bonas, is a businessman – the prince and model ran in the same social circles.
In fact, Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie made the initial introduction since Bonas was her classmate at Leeds University. But it was Eugenie’s now-husband Jack Brooksbank who set up the date between the prince and Bonas.
You’re Just Like My Ken And Barbie Doll
While the prince and actress dated, they adopted the nicknames “Ken” and “Barbie” for one another. Although these nicknames may have been cute ten years ago, they’re making us cringe today.
After all, referring to someone as a Barbie doll can be demeaning. It often means that a woman is fake, dumb, and only concerned about her appearance. Even referring to the prince as “Ken” can be uncomplimentary at best. Calling someone by Barbie’s male counterpart’s name often means that the person is bland or stereotypical.
Even though Bonas is a model and Harry is also known for his good looks, choosing these cringe-worthy pet names may have added to the demise of their relationship. Since ending her relationship with the prince, Bonas has opened up to the public about how she felt as Harry’s girlfriend. As she told BBC Radio 4 in 2017, “I find that people are very quick to put you in a box or put you in a corner and think, ‘Oh well, you’re that, so you must be that.’”
Ultimately, the actress didn’t want to be put “in a box” so she ended the relationship in May 2014. The breakup appears to have been the best for both the prince and model. We all know that the prince married Markle. But surprisingly, the actress went on to marry another Harry.
In 2020, Bonas tied the knot with property developer Harry Wentworth-Stanley. The two dated before she and Harry were a couple and reconciled after the actress ended her relationship with the prince. The model even recently gave birth to their first child. Congratulations to the new parents!