Who Is Cory Vitiello? New Details About Meghan Markle's Last Boyfriend Before Prince Harry

Much has been made of the fact that Meghan Markle was married once before meeting and becoming engaged to Prince Harry. However, a new report indicates the soon-to-be official royal may have almost married the man she dated just before she was introduced to her future spouse.

Prior to meeting Prince Harry in 2016, Markle reportedly had been dating Toronto chef Cory Vitiello for two years, after meeting him when she dined at his former restaurant, Harbord House, in 2014. Now in a new interview with the Daily Mail, both Vitiello and his mother have opened up about his time with the former "Suits" actress, and it appears the pair's relationship had been very serious at one point, and Markle was someone whom Vitiello's family had grown fond of, an affection that has not faded to this day.

"Absolutely! And we are very fond of her," Joanne Vitiello told the publication. "She is a lovely, lovely woman. Very smart, very bright, very caring. She's a warm personality, very sincere. We very much enjoyed the time we spent with her. She fitted very well into our family. The Royal Family, and Britain is very lucky to have her."

Though she wouldn't confirm that marriage was a possibility for her son and Markle, she did reiterate that it was a very serious relationship.

"I won't speak about that. I'll just let you know that we were very fond of her. It was serious," she said. "They were together that length of time. They were living together in the house, and they were in their 30s, so they weren't young kids."

However, while she had nothing but nice things to say about her son's time with Vitiello, other sources claimed in the article that things weren't quite as nice in the end, indicating the chef had initiated a break-up because Markle was exhibiting increasingly more "prima donna-like" behaviors and that things officially ended after she took credit for a pasta dish he had created during a dinner at home with friends.

Vitiello himself wouldn't comment on the specifics regarding how their relationship came to an end and indicated that he had no interest in sharing anything too personal because he didn't intend to insert himself in her story.

"I've got a lot of respect for Meghan and, from my end, to make it seem like I'm part of the story [of her elevation into the ranks of royalty] would seem self-serving and opportunistic," he said. "I'm pleased for Meghan. She's a great girl. There is no bitterness. I respect people's private and personal lives, and although she has put herself in the public spectrum, I still hold to that."

He also didn't give any specific answers in regards to who ended their relationship, or when, opting not to reveal if there had been any overlap between their relationship and Markle's with Prince Harry.

"That's the one question you can't answer, huh? Well, you know what? I'll let the public forum debate that!" He replied.

Markle will be marrying Prince Harry on May 19.