When it comes to matters of the heart, Celebsville never fails to surprise us.

Case in point? It seems that before she paired off with Harry, Meghan Markle was romantically linked to Cheryl Tweedy's ex-husband. Yup, Ashley Cole spotted Meghan on Twitter... and he went about digital wooing her with enthusiasm. As reported by DailyMail.com, four years ago the US actress went for drinks with reporter Katie Hind. Socialising with prosecco (we knew we liked Meghan) in the swanky Soho area of London, Ms Markle asked Katie: "Do you know this guy, Ashley Cole?"

She added: "He follows me and he keeps trying to talk to me on Twitter. He's trying really hard."

We can only imagine, Meghan.

The "flattered" California-native went on to tell Katie that Mr Cole was mad keen on a date in London. Perhaps understandably, Meghan was warned off the footballer - whose marriage to Cheryl broke down in part because of his infidelity.

Seemingly, Ms Markle appreciated the advice. "Some of my friends told me to stay away from him, too," she said, adding: I think I'll leave it."

Four years ago, Ashley was an England international earning around €120,000 a week.

He married former X Factor judge Cheryl in 2006 following two years of dating. By 2008, several women claimed they had slept with Ashley since he tied the knot with the Girls Aloud singer, but they stayed together until 2010, when she filed for divorce. Meghan and Prince Harry have been together for around 16 months and will marry next May.