The Prince and the showgirls: He's been spotted canoodling with pop star Ellie Goulding who is just one of NINE showbiz hotties to catch Harry's eyes 

His father Prince Charles famously enjoyed a flirtation with Three Degrees singer Sheila Ferguson, while uncles Prince Andrew briefly dated showbiz personality Caprice Bourret and Edward had ‘a bit of slap and tickle’ (her words) with TV weathergirl Ulrika Jonsson.

But surely no Prince has ever appreciated a showgirl quite like Prince Harry?

Over the years, Harry has displayed a taste for ladies in the spotlight, dallying with an array of models, actresses, TV presenters and singers.

The latest of these is said to be blonde pop star Ellie Goulding. Apparently the Prince and Miss Goulding, 29, have been flirting by text for weeks and were ‘all over each other’ under a blanket at a polo event last week.

Here, we reveal the other famous names in Harry’s Little Black Book — and ask whether any of them has what it takes to make a royal wife...

ELLIE GOULDING, POP STAR

Ellie, 29, and Harry have known each other for years. She even sang at his 30th birthday party at the invitation of the Duchess of Cambridge, who loves her music and had her perform at the 2011 Royal Wedding. 

In 2014, Ellie performed at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games as a favour to the Prince, and they were seen embracing warmly after her performance.

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Since she split from Dougie Poynter (of the boyband McFly) in March, there have reportedly been text conversations between Ellie Goulding, 29, and the Prince. And at the post-polo party in Berkshire last week, the two of them were spotted chatting, flirting and eventually kissing

Since she split from Dougie Poynter (of the boyband McFly) in March, there have reportedly been text conversations between Ellie and the Prince.

And at the post-polo party in Berkshire last week, the two of them were spotted chatting, flirting and eventually kissing.

A source said: ‘They’ve always got on very well, but things stepped up a gear recently. There was a complete ban on taking pictures at the polo party so that Harry and the other celebrities there could feel comfortable.

‘Harry and Ellie only had eyes for each other all night - they spent a lot of time sitting together under blankets. They were seen having a kiss before Harry had to go because he was playing polo the next day. Ellie left about five minutes later.’

Since the canoodling came to light, there has been deafening silence from both sides. Prince Harry is usually quick to complain about inaccuracies in the media but, intriguingly, has yet to do so.

ROYAL POTENTIAL: Bookmaker Coral is offering odds of 5-1 that they confirm they are dating, and odds of 50-1 on a proposal from the Prince before the end of next year, with 100-1 that they marry.

It would be a real-life Cinderella story. Ellie was raised in Hereford, where her mum worked in a supermarket and her stepfather was a lorry driver with a tattoo of a bulldog smoking a marijuana joint.

Her biological father, Arthur, walked out when she was five and she’s not spoken to him in years. She has said she required therapy to deal with the rejection.

Her big break came when she was at university and tried out at a talent show where she met her first manager. She’s a Brit award-winner and the face of Pantene shampoo.

She may be too fragile for the royal goldfish bowl. She has always been open about her problems with anxiety, telling a magazine earlier this year that she had to undergo cognitive behavioural therapy just to be able to leave the house.

NATALIE PINKHAM, TV PRESENTER

One of Harry’s most trusted drinking buddies, the TV presenter, 37, was the first of the young Prince’s famous fillies. 

They met through rugby star Matt Dawson (whom she had dated) at a match in 2003. 

She said: ‘I realised very quickly what a normal bloke he was.’ Harry was said to be ‘head over heels’ about her.

One of Harry’s most trusted drinking buddies, the TV presenter, 37, was the first of the young Prince’s famous fillies. They met through rugby star Matt Dawson (whom she had dated) at a match in 2003

There was a furore in 2006 when a picture was published showing the Prince apparently groping her breast - it was taken at a party in 2003.

ROYAL POTENTIAL: She’s from a respectable background, the daughter of a barrister mother and property developer father, and went to Rugby school. 

But she’s out of the running now - she married TV executive Owain Walbyoff in 2012 and they have a son, Wilf, and a new baby due this month. 

She was probably too independent-minded for royal life. Natalie says: ‘I find fame by association so cringeworthy. If I’m going to do well, I want it to be down to me.’

CASSIE SUMNER, GLAMOUR MODEL

Serial footballer-magnet Cassie, 33, from the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, is the kind of girl who gives the palace suits palpitations. 

Prince Harry ran into her at London’s Chinawhite nightclub in 2004 when he was 19 and she was 21. 

She saw him kissing Lauren Pope - a glamour model who has since appeared in reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex - before he came over to see her.

Prince Harry ran into Cassie Sumkner at London’s Chinawhite nightclub in 2004 when he was 19 and she was 21. As she revealed in a newspaper interview: ‘He made eye contact as I stood at the bar with friends and invited me to join his private table. It wasn’t long before he began cuddling up to me'

As she revealed in a newspaper interview: ‘He made eye contact as I stood at the bar with friends and invited me to join his private table. It wasn’t long before he began cuddling up to me.

‘He seemed fascinated with my breasts, because he spent more time looking at them than my face.

‘At one point I could feel his hands running up and down my thighs, and I gave him a playful slap. I began giggling so he snuggled up close and starting whispering in my ear, telling me how sexy I looked.

‘He asked repeatedly: “Is there somewhere we can go?” I said “Don’t be silly” - but it only seemed to encourage Harry more.’

ROYAL POTENTIAL: Zero chance. Not just indiscreet, she’s also had a very colourful love life. 

She dated notorious womaniser Russell Brand, but said she dumped him after he asked her to have a threesome with a prostitute, and also had a romance with James Hewitt - famously Princess Diana’s boyfriend - in 2005.

This was never going to go the distance. As the lady herself says: ‘I can’t see myself getting invited home for tea with Prince Charles and Camilla!’

MOLLIE KING, POP STAR

The pair met in July 2010 at the Asprey World Class Cup at Surrey’s Hurtwood Polo Club. 

Almost two years later Mollie, 29, who found fame in girl group The Saturdays, was spotted dancing with Prince Harry in the Bunga Bunga club in Battersea, South London.

At first she denied any liaison, tweeting: ‘Guys, I’m getting a lot of tweets about Prince Harry but . . . I’m not dating him and we’re not in a relationship. We’re just friends.’

The pair met in July 2010 at the Asprey World Class Cup at Surrey’s Hurtwood Polo Club. Mollie admitted in a later interview that they had dated. She said: ‘Yes, I have met Harry, and we did go out for a drink’

Harry was said to have been horrified by her indiscretion.

However, she admitted in a later interview that they had dated. She said: ‘Yes, I have met Harry, and we did go out for a drink.’

ROYAL POTENTIAL: Privately educated Mollie was raised in Richmond, Surrey, and has two elder sisters, who are now a lawyer and a banker. She nearly became a professional skier and lived in France for a while to concentrate on the sport.

She recently signed a solo deal with Island records, is the face of Maybelline cosmetics and endorses a range at fashion chain Oasis. Bright, successful, and sporty, Mollie would make a brilliant consort.

CAROLINE FLACK, TV PRESENTER

Winner of Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, presenter on The X Factor last year and girl-about-town, Caroline, 36, gave an account of her 2009 romance with Harry in her autobiography last year.

She said Natalie Pinkham had introduced them during a night out. 

She revealed: ‘I knew she was friends with Harry, and I’d never met him, so I thought: “Oh that’s quite exciting”, and I perked up. To meet a prince is so unlikely it would be weird not to acknowledge it.’

Caroline Flack, 36, said Natalie Pinkham had introduced them during a night out and the pair began seeing each other and were photographed together

The pair began seeing each other and were photographed together. 

Caroline said that on a personal level she ‘really liked him’, but she added: ‘Once the story got out, that was it. We had to stop seeing each other.

‘I was no longer Caroline Flack, TV presenter, I was Caroline Flack, Prince Harry’s bit of rough.’

She went on to date One Direction heart-throb Harry Styles in 2011.

ROYAL POTENTIAL: An initial attraction, but given her modest background - Caroline grew up in a small town in Norfolk where her father was a pastry chef and her mother worked for the local paper — it’s hard to see how she would fit in on the Palace balcony.

FLORENCE BRUDENELL- BRUCE, MODEL

A cousin of singer Bo Bruce - daughter of the Earl of Cardigan - Florence, 30, is not only a gorgeous blonde model, she’s wealthy, posh and a lot of fun.

Flea (as her friends call her) and Prince Harry were first linked in 2008 but the romance became official over the summer of 2011, after Prince Harry finished with lawyer Chelsy Davy for good.

A cousin of singer Bo Bruce - daughter of the Earl of Cardigan - Florence, 30, and Harry were first linked in 2008 but the romance became official over the summer of 2011, after Prince Harry finished with lawyer Chelsy Davy for good. Apparently, Flea dumped Harry

Apparently, Flea dumped Harry. 

A source said: ‘She felt he had a wandering eye all the time and she wasn’t really into not knowing who he was flirting with or talking to when they were apart.’

ROYAL POTENTIAL: Flea has a very pukka background. Her father, Andrew, is an Old Etonian wine merchant and she went to Stowe school in Bucks.

She has a degree in History of Art (like the Duchess of Cambridge) and has modelled for Liz Hurley Beach, Adidas and Rigby & Peller lingerie.

She would be perfect wife material, aside from those underwear pictures. Oh, and the fact she’s been married to multi-millionaire Henry St George for the past three years.

CRESSIDA BONAS, ACTRESS

An actress, dancer and model, Cressie, 27, is the daughter of former It girl Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon and half-sister of Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, who once dated Prince William and is now married to Sam Branson. 

Cressie and Harry were introduced by his cousin Princess Eugenie in May 2012, and they dated until the spring of 2014.

Cressie and Harry were introduced by his cousin Princess Eugenie in May 2012, and they dated until the spring of 2014. They split after a row over arrangements for attending the wedding of Harry’s best pal, Guy Pelly

There was talk of an engagement and they even made an official appearance together.

However, they split after a row over arrangements for attending the wedding of Harry’s best pal, Guy Pelly.

ROYAL POTENTIAL: Cressie’s beautiful, posh and well-connected, so this could have been a good match. There was obviously chemistry between them, but unfortunately not enough to build a stable relationship.

Since their split, Cressie’s acting career has gone from strength to strength. Having modelled for Burberry and Mulberry, she recently appeared in the ITV costume drama Doctor Thorne.

JENNA COLEMAN, ACTRESS

Gorgeous and petite (5ft 2in), Jenna Coleman, 30, found fame in the soap Emmerdale and then played Doctor Who’s assistant, Clara Oswald, for four years.

She crossed paths with Prince Harry in June last year, when she was spotted being given the full royal charm offensive at a charity polo match in Ascot. 

Jenna Coleman crossed paths with Prince Harry in June last year at a charity polo match. The Prince rested his hand on her knee and engaged her in deep and ‘flirty’ conversation. Afterwards, he was said to have kept texting her for a couple of months, but she wasn’t interested

The Prince rested his hand on her knee and engaged her in deep and ‘flirty’ conversation. 

Afterwards, he was said to have kept texting her for a couple of months, but she wasn’t interested.

ROYAL POTENTIAL: Her background as a soap actress might have ruled her out — Jenna’s character battered her policeman boyfriend to death with a chair leg. Jenna was born in Blackpool and privately educated — her father has a business fitting shop interiors.

She had a place to study English literature at York but took up the offer of a role in Emmerdale instead. She recently dated Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden.

JULIETTE LABELLE, ACTRESS

A knockout blonde with Cara Delevingne’s brows, aspiring actress Juliette, 22, was spotted with Prince Harry over the New Year while he was on a private break in Los Angeles, her home town.

A source said: ‘The Prince enjoyed hanging out with Juliette. She’s very much his type and they hooked up.

Aspiring actress Juliette, 22, was spotted with Prince Harry over the New Year while he was on a private break in Los Angeles, her home town

‘She’s blonde, cool and well-connected. She’s also fun, confident and doesn’t mind showing off how sexy she is. And she has that boho, free spirit he likes.’

ROYAL POTENTIAL: Low. The former PR assistant for Christian Dior is only 22 - and the risque pictures she posts on social media won’t go down well at the Palace.