Charles ditches 'hopeful' President Nixon’s marriage proposal for his daughter Tricia

There was a potential attempt by President Nixon to arrange a marriage between his daughter and Prince Charles, but it did not come to fruition.

The former Prince Charles visited the United States in 1970 when he was 21 and newly crowned the Prince of Wales. An eager President Nixon was determined to play matchmaker between the prince and first daughter Tricia Nixon.

"At the time, Charles was frequently talked about as one of the world’s most eligible bachelors," author David Charter told Fox News Digital.

"And Nixon was very keen on the royals. He was royals obsessed. When it was arranged that Charles and his younger sister Princess Anne, who was 19, would make this big solo visit to the White House and do a little tour of America, he was already coming up with a plan."

Charter has written a new book, "Royal Audience," which explores the special relationship between the U.S. and the British royal family over the years. He described how Nixon was eager to pair up his daughter with the future king.

"Before Charles came to America, Richard Nixon was invited to have lunch with Queen Elizabeth in the summer of 1969," Charter explained. "When Nixon shook hands with Charles, he told him, ‘Both of my daughters follow you very closely.’ Prince Philip commented, ‘I’m sure one is no longer.’ He was referring to Nixon’s daughter, Julia, who had just gotten married."

"It was very obvious that Nixon was dropping hints that his daughter Tricia was interested in Charles because she was following him closely," Charter added.

No sparks were flying when Charles attended his first baseball game with Tricia. 

A love match between Charles and Tricia wasn’t meant to be. Less than a year after Charles’ visit, Tricia married Harvard Law student Edward F. Cox. They are still together.

Charles remained a bachelor for at least a decade before he married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. The couple divorced after 15 years of marriage.

But before Charles ever said "I do," he was nicknamed the "Playboy Prince" for his lengthy dating history. According to reports, he gave himself the deadline of age 30 to find his future queen. He missed the target by two years, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. He reportedly romanced at least 20 women coined "Charlie’s Angels."