Elizabeth Hurley Reacts to Rumors She Took Prince Harry’s Virginity

Elizabeth Hurley is setting the record straight on some royal rumors.

The British actress, 58, spoke out during an April 3 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen about speculation that she was the “older woman” who took Prince Harry’s virginity, a situation he recounted in his 2023 memoir Spare.

“That was ludicrous!” Hurley said, in response to a fan’s question. “He said, ‘She was English. She was older than me. It was in Gloucestershire.’ And they were like, ‘Ah, it’s Elizabeth.’ ”

“It was absurd. It was ridiculous,” she added. “It was like saying, ‘He’s great-looking. He’s American.’ Oh, it’s Andy Cohen.”

Putting an end to the gossip once and for all, Hurley revealed, “I’ve never met him in my life.”

In a much-discussed passage of his book, the Duke of Sussex wrote about losing his virginity. Harry said that towards the end of 2001 when he was 17, royal aide Mark Dyer came to visit him at Eton. Meeting up for lunch at a café in town, Prince Harry said he was surprised when “Marko” arrived “looking grim” and said he came to learn the truth.

“I suspected he was referring to my recent loss of virginity. Inglorious episode, with an older woman. She liked horses, quite a lot, and treated me not unlike a young stallion,” he wrote in Spare. “Quick ride, after which she’d smacked my rump and sent me off to graze.”

“Among the many things about it that were wrong: It happened in a grassy field behind a busy pub. Obviously, someone had seen us,” Prince Harry continued.

While Hurley hasn’t crossed paths with Prince Harry, she has met the prince’s brother and father. The actress teamed up with Prince William in 2016 for Centrepoint at the Palace, a fundraising event for the homelessness charity of which William is a patron. Meanwhile, she crossed paths with the future King Charles at the De Beers/Versace “Diamonds are Forever” celebration at London’s Syon House in June 1999.

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Prince Harry told PEOPLE about his memoir, “I don’t want to tell anyone what to think of it and that includes my family. This book and its truths are in many ways a continuation of my own mental health journey. It’s a raw account of my life — the good, the bad and everything in between.”