When it comes to bagging oneself a royal boyfriend, it seems Leeds is the place to be.
Prince Harry’s former love interest Chelsy Davy famously studied law at the University of Leeds.
And now it has emerged that his latest squeeze, society girl Cressida Bonas, is also a one-time Leeds student.
Cressida studied dance at the University of Leeds and was reportedly a massive fan of the city’s social scene.
One of her student pals has said: “We all partied a lot.
“Cress always said she preferred Leeds nightlife to London nightlife.
“She would say that no one in London clubs really lets go – they just ponce around a table.”
Cressida and Chelsy’s liking for Leeds has come as no surprise to staff at the Welcome to Yorkshire tourism agency.
Chief executive Gary Verity said: “Leeds, and indeed the whole county, has longstanding connections with royalty and romance.
“Harewood House is a perfect example of just that and further afield in North Yorkshire, Roseberry Topping was named one of the most romantic places in the world to propose.”
Cressida’s relationship with Harry hit the headlines last week when they were pictured hugging on the ski slopes of Verbier in Switzerland.
The 24-year-old model was first linked with the Prince last summer but has previously denied they were an item, saying: “He’s not my type.”
Electoral roll records indicate that she spent at least part of her time in Leeds living at Adel’s now-closed Bodington Hall student residence.
Cressida’s predecessor as the apple of Harry’s eye, Chelsy Davy, took a postgraduate law course at the university.
Zimbabwe-born Chelsy arrived in Leeds in 2007 and moved into £55-a-week digs in Headingley.
At one point she was said to be considering quitting her course because she was struggling to cope with the chilly Yorkshire weather but eventually stuck with it.
Chelsy, the daughter of a millionaire safari operator, started dating Harry in 2004 but their on-off relationship came to a final end in 2011.
She is said to have cited Leeds’s bustling nightlife as a key factor in her decision to study in the city.
* Cressida and Chelsy aren’t the only members of today’s royal circle with connections to West Yorkshire.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s dad, Michael Middleton, was born at Leeds’s Chapel Allerton Nursing Home.
His great-grandfather, Francis Martineau Lupton, was one of four brothers who in the 19th century held some of the most important civic positions in Leeds.
The Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips, meanwhile, is married to Otley-born rugby union player Mike Tindall.





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