Sad news for Princess Beatrice and her long-term boyfriend Dave Clark, who've reportedly split after 10 years together.
The country may have been waiting for another fairytale royal wedding, but, according to the Mail on Sunday, it's not to be as Beatrice and Dave are said to have ended their relationship last month.
The royal family are reportedly shocked and saddened by the split, after considering Dave to be part of the family for the last 10 years. Beatrice's mother Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, is said to be particularly heartbroken, with reports that she told a friend it felt like losing a son.
A source told The Mail on Sunday, 'I understand the couple quietly called time on their romance a month ago after the failure of long and exasperated 'make or break' talks – centred on whether or not they should get married.
'After 10 years together, Beatrice and Dave had to wonder why they were not married. They talked it through and decided to take time apart to reflect on the future. They remain friends and the decision to break up was mutual.'
The pair met through Beatrice's cousin Prince William while at the University of St Andrews, where the future king had become friendly with Dave who was taking part in an exchange programme in Scotland.
Born in America but splitting his time between the US and the UK, Dave had recently been pursuing a career in the US with Uber, a move which Beatrice supported after she relocated to New York to start a job with a consultancy firm.
There are hopes that all is not lost for the couple, with a source telling the Daily Mail that this may not be a permanent break, 'I think it might be a William and Kate-type split [the couple split briefly in 2007] - I wouldn't be surprised if they got back together.
'They are both open to that. As we all know, there are several types of split, and this is of the most amicable kind, with no one else involved. It's just they felt it was decision time'.
