Prince Harry’s Ex-Girlfriend Just Paid Meghan Markle a Subtle Compliment

It’s not breaking news that the media has been terrible to Meghan Markle ever since she and Prince Harry got together. Sometimes the intense, often racist vitriol is the result of a rabid British tabloid press, frequently it’s because of just a few, hyper-focused Twitter trolls who are able to fuel worldwide ire—and sometimes the call is coming from inside the palace. But according to Harry’s ex-girlfriend, Florence St. George (née Brudenell-Bruce), there was bound to be intense scrutiny on anyone who threw their hat into the ring with Prince Harry.

St. George, a potter and former model who’s now married with two children and living in the Bahamas, spoke with The Times (the London one, not the New York one) about the few months in 2011 that she dated Prince Harry. At first, her candidness doesn’t sound like a compliment: “Although it was sad at the time, I feel lucky that the relationship was short-lived,” she said. But you can see where she’s coming from as she continues:

“When I glimpsed for five, six, seven days — we were together a bit longer than that but that's how long it was in the press — what it was like to be under that focus I found it really terrifying and I made a decision quite quickly that it wasn't the right thing for me.”

It would be really scary to have such intense paparazzi feverishness, even for just a few days. Imagine, then, what it must feel like for Meghan Markle, who has experienced it for years, all as a backdrop as she tries to grow her family, speak out for her causes, and try to achieve some semblance of normalcy. Yikes.

St. George agrees: “I take my hat off to people who can cope with that lifestyle, but I knew I couldn’t.” Notice the little compliment to Meghan there?

So in case you needed it confirmed any further: Although Disney movies sure make it seem like being a princess is fun, in reality it sounds like even just dating a prince can be pretty nightmarish.