From Royal Chapel to Island Paradise: Two Very Different Weddings
The world watched as Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in the medieval splendour of St George's Chapel, Windsor, before hundreds of distinguished guests including Queen Elizabeth II and Oprah Winfrey, plus a global television audience of millions. Meanwhile, his former long-term girlfriend chose a dramatically different path to matrimony.
An Intimate Island Ceremony
Chelsy Davy, the 40-year-old Zimbabwe-born jewellery designer whose on-off relationship with Harry spanned seven years until 2011, has revealed she exchanged vows with Norfolk hotelier Sam Cutmore-Scott, also 40, during an intimate beach ceremony in Mauritius. While the Sussexes eventually moved to Chelsy's native California, she and Sam are planning their own relocation from Chiswick, west London, to what she describes as 'paradise' on the Indian Ocean archipelago.
'We got locked down on the island while visiting my parents during Covid and, while we were here, we got a bit further under the skin of the place from a non-holidaying perspective,' Chelsy explains of their decision. 'We're now in the process of moving out here [semi] full time.'
Discovering Mauritius Beyond the Beaches
The mother of two, who shares son Leo and daughter Chloe with Sam, emphasises that Mauritius offers more than typical tropical appeal. 'Many people think of it as just a holiday destination, but it's so much more than that,' she says. 'My parents are based there full time now and, since spending more time visiting them with my kids recently, I've discovered there's a much deeper world which sets it apart from other tropical destinations like the Maldives or the Seychelles.'
While Chelsy had previously disclosed in 2022 that the couple had married secretly, the picturesque beach location remained unknown until now. In stark contrast to Meghan Markle's £200,000 Givenchy bridal gown, Chelsy took a refreshingly relaxed approach to her wedding attire. 'I bought my wedding dress from a hotel boutique the day before my wedding and was very pleased with it,' she reveals.
The couple's connection extends beyond their shared life in Mauritius. Sam Cutmore-Scott was in the year above Prince Harry at Eton College, creating another interesting link between these two very different royal-adjacent love stories.
