Prince Harry broke up with Cressida Bonas after a row about attending a pal’s wedding. But he is clearly determined not to make the same mistake with Meghan Markle.
Harry’s American actress girlfriend was due to land in Jamaica on Thursday night, joining Harry for a gigantic three-day party (which Usain Bolt is rumored to be attending) to mark the wedding of his Old Etonian school friend Tom “Skippy” Inskip. Skippy accompanied Harry on the ill-fated trip to Las Vegas that culminated in a game of naked billiards, and he is marrying an aristocratic literary agent, the Honorable Lara Hughes-Young.
Harry, 32, flew from Gatwick to Montego Bay on Wednesday, traveling premium economy on Virgin Atlantic, according to a report in the Daily Mail (the cash-conscious young royals tend to purchase tickets in the cheaper seats when on personal trips, which they pay for out of their own pockets).
The trip is being billed as an ideal opportunity for Harry to introduce Meghan to a wider circle of his friends and has ramped up speculation that Meghan, who spent much of January and February living with Harry at his cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, is set to propose to her sooner rather than later.
Adding to the speculation are rumors that Meghan has asked to be written out of the legal drama Suits.
As absurd and sexist as it may seem, it would probably be unwise for Meghan to unnecessarily expose herself to press criticism and accusations of “cashing in” by continuing such a public-facing career.
“This the first time that she and Harry have socialized so openly as a couple and is a significant step up in their relationship,” one source told the Mail. “Make no mistake, he is heads over heels about her. This one could go all the way.”
The party is at the super-exclusive Round Hill Hotel and Villas, a private 110-acre plantation-style resort first built as a colony of cottages for the rich, famous, and glamorous of the 1950s.
Pippa Middleton’s big day will be the next focal point for Harry and Meghan watchers. Pippa is marrying her fiancé James Mathews on May 20, and it is inconceivable that Meghan would not be there if the relationship is still firing on all cylinders.