Cressida Bonas feared being labelled an ''it girl'' following her relationship with Prince Harry.

The 31-year-old actress split from the British royal in 2014 but admitted she worried that her personal life would overshadow her acting career.

She explained to Australia's Daily Telegraph: ''I think terms like that are very narrow-minded. I think that I work very, very hard, I love what I do, and I just hope that this role has shown people what I can do and what I would like to do going forward and not be caught in a box in any way.''

And Cressida - who reportedly ended her relationship with Harry, 35, because she did not want the attention that came with being a member of the Royal Family - also revealed that fear has ''limited'' her in the past.

She said: ''The fear of failing, the fear of rejection, the fear of not getting it right, the fear of not being perfect ... I think that has limited me in certain situations in my life.

''I think I have grown confident and fortunately I have learnt not to sweat the small stuff too much.

''And I just think it has definitely given me a stronger sense of purpose and a stronger sense of what I want or don't want.''

Cressida previously admitted it has been ''very hard'' to be taken seriously as an actress because her famous past relationship overshadows her efforts.

She explained: ''No one likes to be labelled, no matter what it is about or where they come from. The hurdles and barriers for me are when I'm trying to do my work and people want to talk about him. I work very hard and love what I do - I just want to continue. But it is still something I have to contend with. It is what it is. People will perhaps always ask me about it.''

'White House Farm' actress Cressida is now engaged to real estate broker Harry Wentworth Stanley, but recently revealed that their wedding has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.