Chelsy Davy Biography
Chelsy Yvonne Davy (born 13 October 1985) is a Zimbabwean businesswoman. She is the owner and founder of the jewellery brand Aya and the travel agency Aya Africa.
Early life and education
Davy was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to Charles Davy, a South African safari farmer, and Beverley Donald Davy, a former Coca-Cola model and winner of the 1973 Miss Rhodesia contest. She has a younger brother, Shaun, and grew up at her family's homestead in the Lemco Safari Area.
Her father, Charles, was one of the largest private landowners in Zimbabwe, and was reported to own 800,000 acres (320,000:ha) of land. He maintained business ties with controversial politician Webster Shamu, of whom he said, "I am in partnership with a person who I personally like and get along with. I am not involved in politics in any way." After being criticised by the press, however, Davy sold his share in the business.
Education
Davy was briefly educated at Cheltenham College. Prior to that, she attended Girls' College in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (not Cheltenham Ladies' College as has been widely reported), before moving to Stowe School in Buckinghamshire. She received a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Cape Town in 2006, and a law degree (LLB) from University of Leeds in 2009.
Career
In September 2011, Davy began work as a trainee solicitor at London law firm Allen & Overy. In late 2014, however, Davy decided to quit her position at the firm.
Jewellery
After studying at the Gemological Ins*ute of America, Davy launched a jewellery brand, Aya, in July 2016.
Travel
In 2020, in an interview with Tatler Magazine, Davy announced that Aya would be branching out into the luxury travel sector to organise African holidays. She then announced the launch of Aya Africa on Instagram.
Personal life
Davy married hotelier Sam Cutmore-Scott and gave birth to their son, Leo, in 2022.
Relationship with Prince Harry
Davy had what the press described as a "turbulent" relationship with Prince Harry, a member of the British royal family. The pair met in early 2004 while Davy was a boarder at Stowe School, and were an on-again, off-again couple until 2009. Davy announced the end of the relationship on Facebook.
In 2011, referring to rumours of a possible reconciliation, Prince Harry publicly professed himself "100 percent single", and Chelsy, who attended the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011, stated that she would not marry Prince Harry due to the rising incompatibility of their life choices within the relationship.
In May 2018, Davy was a guest at the wedding of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle.
In November 2021, private investigator Gavin Burrows claimed on a BBC do*entary that Davy's communications were targeted, and her voicemails were hacked, in an attempt by media outlets to gather information on Prince Harry, an act for which he apologised. Burrow's claims "are yet to be tested in court and are strongly disputed" by The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World. In his witness statement as part of a civil action against *ociated Newspapers Ltd, the publisher of the Daily Mail, Prince Harry claimed that the news company learned information on his and Davy's whereabouts through "unlawful means", which left her feeling "hunted" and "shaken". In another witness statement for his action against Mirror Group Newspapers, Harry claimed that alleged unlawful activity by journalists made Davy decide that "a royal life was not for her".
References
External links
- Aya
- Aya Africa
- Chelsy Davy at IMDb
