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Davina Morley enjoyed a close relationship with the future King in the 1970s

Davina Morley, once regarded as a leading candidate to become Queen of the United Kingdom, has died at the age of 75 following a short illness. She passed away on September 2 with her three sons, Tom, Billy and Henry, at her bedside.

Her death was confirmed on Friday by her family, who said a celebration of life service is being arranged for November.

Born Davina Sheffield, she was the granddaughter of Lord McGowan, the Scottish industrialist who led Imperial Chemical Industries for two decades. She was also a cousin of Samantha Cameron, wife of the former Prime Minister.

The Sheffield family lineage traces back to King Charles II.

Mrs Morley's husband, Jake, predeceased her in April 2022 at the age of 80.

Her romance with King Charles began in 1976, when the then-Prince of Wales became deeply taken with the tall, striking blonde.

Royal observers at the time described her as his "soulmate" and said the pair appeared "very much in love."

The couple were a regular fixture at society gatherings, often spotted driving around in Charles's open-top Aston Martin DB5 Volante.

He brought her as his guest to a wedding, and she was photographed seated beside Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at an equestrian event.

Charles was sufficiently serious about the relationship to invite her to Balmoral, where she charmed his grandmother, the Queen Mother. A friend told the Daily Mail: "She and Charles were wonderful together."

Royal author Michael Rhodes described her as "a great match" for the future King.

Yet the relationship was brought to a sudden end when James Beard, a powerboat racer and former boyfriend, went to the press with details of their prior romance, revealing they had shared a "love nest" together.

The disclosure proved fatal to the courtship. Royal convention at the time demanded that the heir to the throne take an "unblemished" bride, the same requirement that had earlier prevented King Charles from marrying Camilla Shand before her 1973 marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles.

In her 2005 book The Firm, royal author Penny Junor wrote that Mrs Morely had initially declined a dinner invitation from Charles because of her relationship with Mr Beard, but "he was so persistent that she eventually succumbed and the boyfriend soon fell by the wayside."

The future King was reportedly devastated, particularly as Mrs Morely had already secured his family's approval.

Following the heartbreak, Mrs Morely found lasting happiness with Jake Morley, whom she married in 1981, the same year Charles wed Lady Diana Spencer.

The couple went on to have three sons: Thomas, born in 1983, William in 1984, and Henry in 1987.

She is also survived by two step-sons, Dominic and Sebastian, from Mr Morley's first marriage.

Beyond her personal life, she was known for her charitable endeavours, having travelled to Vietnam to volunteer at an orphanage as the war there drew to a close.

The celebration of her life is scheduled for September 2 at her local church in Gloucestershire, roughly 15 miles from the King's Highgrove estate, near the Cotswolds home she cherished.