Prince Harry has promised his highly-anticipated memoir Spare will be "accurate and wholly truthful" when released next year.
And not only has he enlisted ghostwriter J.R. Moehringer to help him with the book, he has also reportedly reached out to friends - and even former girlfriends. According to a source, most people were stunned to be asked to speak about intimate aspects of Harry's life after being told for years to avoid talking to the media. It is believed his friends and exes were contacted over the summer to see if they would feature in the book, which is set to be released worldwide on January 10.
An insider told The Sun : "Harry did reach out. Friends and girlfriends were polite and said they would think about it but ultimately most said No.
"It was felt to be kind of ironic that Harry would hit the roof if he ever had an inkling they spoke to the media, but now he wants them to when he needs their help."
It's not clear which former girlfriends Harry might have reached out to - but here we look at some of those who he dated before settling down with wife Meghan Markle, and what they are up to now...
Chelsy Davy
One of Harry's most well-known ex-girlfriends is Chelsy Davy, who had an on-off relationship with the prince between 2004 and 2011.
The couple met when Zimbabwean-born Chelsy when she was a boarder at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire and she later studied law at Leeds University.
Chelsy was pictured at many high-profile events with Harry from polo matches to society weddings - and even met King Charles and the late Queen.
However, she struggled to deal with the royal spotlight, and it was the Prince and Princess of Wales' extravagant wedding that proved to her for the final time that it wasn't the life she wanted.
Royal biographer Robert Lacey explains in his book Battle of Brothers that shortly after the wedding, where Harry had been his brother's best man, Chelsy finally ended their long romance.
He writes: "In 2011, after more comings and goings, she finally decided to go - and it was, ironically, Kate and William's grand and glorious wedding that spring that did it for her.
"According to a friend, she told Harry that she could never make the scarifies she had witnessed Kate making, particularly when it came to moulding her life around the unremitting attention of the press."
Chelsy attended Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018 and after ditching a career in law, is now a jewellery designer.
The 37-year-old reportedly welcomed a son named Leo, who is now believed to be around nine months old, with her husband Sam Cutmore-Scott, 37, earlier this year.
Cressida Bonas
Another of Harry's most high-profile former flames is actress and Burberry model Cressida Bonas.
The pair dated for several years between 2012 and 2014 after being introduced by Princess Eugenie - and were often seen at events together.
But like Chelsy before her, Cressida ended the romance when she realised she did not want to be part of royal life, becoming "spooked" by William and Kate's tour of Australia in 2014.
Mr Lacey writes in Battle of the Brothers: "A rising actress, Cressida did not enjoy the critical remarks that she could hear people making behind her back when she walked down the street in London - she felt that the fame of her relationship put her 'in a box'.
"In 2014, she was said to have been 'completely spooked' after watching the TV coverage of William and Kate touring New Zealand with baby George in tow - that was not the way she would want to enjoy her eight-month-old son, she regretfully explained to Harry."
Harry and Cressida remained friends and she too was invited to his wedding. Now, Cressida is married to another Harry - Harry Wentworth-Stanley, who she wed in lockdown. The couple is expecting their first child together.
Florence Brudenell-Bruce
Back in 2011, Harry had a brief romance with model and actress Florence Brudenell-Bruce, who also previously dated Formula 1 champion Jenson Button.
Harry is said to have introduced Florence, who once fronted campaigns for Adidas and John Lewis, to some of his closest friends and she was reportedly popular within the royal household.
However, they called time on their romance when Harry was concentrating on his Apache helicopter training during his time in the Army.
A source said at the time: "Harry has a lot on his mind at the moment. He is concentrating on his Apache helicopter training. After that, he’s expecting to return to Afghanistan.
“Harry enjoyed spending time with friends over the summer, but he doesn’t want to be tied down in a relationship when training, so he called time on Flee."
Florence later married Henry Edward Hugh St George and the couple have a daughter together.
On Instagram, she describes herself as a ceramic designer and in 2020, she appeared on the third series of The Great Pottery Throw Down.
Mollie King
One famous face that Harry was linked to back in 2011 is Saturdays star turned radio presenter Mollie King.
The pair are said to have met on a night out and swapped numbers but a relationship didn't take off when Harry "cooled" things.
Mollie later addressed the rumoured romance when she tweeted: "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."
She's since dated model David Gandy and is now engaged to England cricketer Stuart Broad - with the pair currently expecting their first child together.
Astrid Harbord
A close pal of sister-in-law Kate, Astrid Harbord was rumoured to be enjoying Harry's company in 2009.
It prompted speculation they were enjoying a secret romance though neither Harry nor Astrid confirmed nor denied the rumours.
Now Astrid is the founder of women's health charity Lady Garden and was recently pictured at a charity event with Harry's cousin Princess Beatrice.
