June 12, 2021 | 12:11pm
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UK footballer Ashley Cole passed on a date with Meghan Markle before she met Prince Harry, according to a friend of the actress.
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Meghan Markle was reportedly on the hunt for a British beau long before meeting hubby, Prince Harry.
Markle’s old friend, English radio personality Lizzie Cundy, claims she attempted to set the 39-year-old former “Suits” actress up with UK soccer star Ashley Cole, back in 2013.
Apparently, the athlete-turned-sports commentator wasn’t interested.
“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,” Cundy, 53, told Grazia.
“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.”
Cole, 40, is considered one of the best left-backs of his generation, playing for Premier League clubs Chelsea and Arsenal before retiring to coach and provide commentary on the sport.
Despite Cole’s disinterest, Cundy admits that she can see why Harry would become smitten with the former television star, whom she met at a party in 2013.
“She was a real girl’s girl: full of energy,” Cundy said. “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.”
On Sunday, Harry and Markle — who are currently residing in a $14 million Montecito, Calif., mansion post-Megxit — announced the birth of their second child.
Harry, 36, and Markle split from the royal family in early 2020. In March of this year, the couple, who also share 2-year-old son Archie, aired their grievances about royal life in a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
