Meghan Markle Was Looking For English Boyfriend Before Meeting Prince Harry, Ex-Friend Claims

Meghan Markle wanted to have an English boyfriend before meeting Prince Harry, a former friend of the duchess has claimed.

English radio personality Lizzie Cundy claimed in a piece for Grazia that she tried to set up Markle with U.K. soccer star Ashley Cole back in 2013. However, the athlete wasn't interested in meeting the former "Suits" actress, according to Cundy.

"Meghan said she loved London, and would love an English boyfriend, so I went through my phone to see who I knew that might be a good fit. I tried to find her a boyfriend - Ashley Cole wasn’t so keen - but I did try to fix her up, which is funny looking back," Cundy wrote.

Cole, 40, played for English Premier League clubs Chelsea and Arsenal before retiring to coach and provide commentary on the sport, Page Six noted.

Meanwhile, Markle began dating Prince Harry in 2016 and married him in 2018. The royal couple, who also share 2-year-old son Archie, welcomed baby girl Lilibet earlier this month.

In the same piece, Cundy revealed that she met Markle at a 2013 pre-dinner for a charity event held at the home of British billionaire businessman John Caudwell. According to the TV personality, she was asked to look after Markle because the latter didn't know anyone in London at the time. Cundy recalled being told that Markle just flew in from Canada and was part of the show "Suits," which she had not heard of at the time.

Initially, she didn't want to entertain Markle because her friends were at another table. But Cundy said she could see why Prince Harry would fall in love with the duchess when she got to know her.

"Meghan was very friendly, great fun, with a big smile," Cundy wrote of Markle.

"[Markle] was a real girl’s girl: full of energy," she continued. "She didn’t stop talking, and we had a big giggle. There was just something special about her. We just got on, and immediately swapped numbers. I looked at her and thought ‘you have something special.’ She makes you feel at home straight away and it felt like I’d known her all my life. I can see why Harry fell in love with her."

Cundy also claimed that her producer discouraged her from interviewing Markle during the Global Gift Gala, which took place a day after they met, because there were other big names on the red carpet like Victoria Beckham, Mel C and Eva Longoria. But she insisted on interviewing the "Horrible Bosses" actress and told the producer that they would make it short.

Cundy shared that she eventually managed to interview Markle, who talked about how much she loved London and the U.K. Cundy claimed that the producer now regrets rushing their interview with the Duchess of Sussex.

According to the radio personality, Markle still replied to her when she was dating Prince Harry, but they lost contact after the two got engaged. Cundy shared that she felt she had been "ghosted" by Markle but made it clear that she understood the duchess' position.

"People ask If I’m upset to go from friendship to silence, but I understand," she wrote. "It’s a different world going from celebrity to royalty, and a whole different life. So I get it. I wasn’t in any way upset."

"But if I saw her today, I’d give her a big hug. I’m happy that they’re happy," Cundy concluded her piece.