Davina Sheffield
1951–2026British socialite known as a former girlfriend of King Charles III in the 1970s, when she was tipped to become his future queen.
Particulars
Davina Sheffield was a British socialite who came to public attention in 1976 as the girlfriend of the Prince of Wales, later King Charles III, when she was widely tipped to become his future queen. She was taken to Balmoral to meet the Royal Family, including the Queen Mother, and was photographed with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at an equestrian event, prompting royal watchers to describe her as Charles' "soulmate". The relationship ended after it emerged that she had previously lived with powerboat racer James Beard, which at the time was seen as an impediment to her marrying the heir to the throne.
Sheffield was the granddaughter of Harry McGowan, the first Lord McGowan, who chaired Imperial Chemical Industries, and the cousin of Samantha Cameron, wife of former British Prime Minister David Cameron. Following the end of her romance with Charles, she married Jonathan Morley in 1981, five months after Charles married Diana, and the couple had three sons, Thomas, William and Henry. Sheffield died on 2 September following a short illness, and her family planned a celebration of life service for November.
Compiled from source reports. Automated record.