Ruthie Henshall Lifts The Lid On Her Five-Year Romance With Prince Edward
Ruthie Henshall has revisited one of the most intriguing royal love stories of the late 1980s, sharing fresh memories of her five-year relationship with Prince Edward in her new memoir, The Showgirl and the Prince.
The West End performer, who was making her name in Cats when Edward joined Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatre Company, recalls first meeting the young royal after he left the Royal Marines and moved into theatre production. His decision had already attracted headlines, but behind the scenes, Ruthie says he was far more approachable than she expected.
According to Ruthie, their early exchanges began with humour, curiosity and a shared love of theatre. She describes Edward as tall, calm and unexpectedly charming, while she was bold, energetic and determined to make an impression. Their conversations gradually became deeper as he walked her to rehearsals, watched performances and spent time with the cast.
One of the most memorable early moments came when Edward invited her to Buckingham Palace to watch the Judy Garland version of A Star Is Born. Ruthie writes of driving through the palace gates in her old car, being served dinner in Edward’s private rooms and realising she was sitting beside a prince in one of the most famous residences in the world.
She also recalls the surreal details of palace life, from formal corridors and staff routines to the practical discovery that Edward’s clothes carried royal name labels so they could be identified by household staff. For Ruthie, the mixture of grandeur and ordinary domestic detail made the whole experience feel both dazzling and unexpectedly human.
Their romance, she says, moved slowly. Edward reportedly wanted privacy and patience, preferring not to rush a relationship he considered special. Ruthie remembers handwritten letters on Buckingham Palace paper, thoughtful notes, flowers and quiet weekends together, describing him as gentle, poetic and protective of their bond.
As the relationship deepened, Ruthie was introduced to parts of royal life rarely seen by the public. During a visit to Windsor, she unexpectedly met Queen Elizabeth II after a riding lesson. Ruthie admits she forgot the etiquette she had been taught and shook the Queen’s hand rather than curtseying, but says the monarch remained kind and attentive.
Afternoon tea that day reportedly included several senior royals, with Ruthie recalling a scene of china cups, crustless sandwiches and calm conversation. She says the Queen spoke to her about horses, while Princess Margaret was warm and interested in theatre. The moment became one of many extraordinary memories from her time close to Edward’s family.
Ruthie also writes that the relationship gave her a rare sense of emotional safety at a difficult time in her life. In the memoir, she discusses painful experiences from her childhood and explains that Edward’s calm nature helped her feel steady while she was privately seeking help and trying to understand her past.
Although the romance was kept largely hidden, Ruthie says Edward became her first great love. Their worlds could hardly have been more different: one a rising West End performer with a rebellious streak, the other the youngest son of the Queen trying to build a life beyond military expectations. Yet, in her telling, the connection was sincere, private and deeply formative.
The revelations have renewed interest in Edward’s early theatre years and in the life he lived before marrying Sophie, now the Duchess of Edinburgh, in 1999. Ruthie’s account is intimate, colourful and full of palace detail, but it also paints a softer picture of a young royal navigating love, duty, privacy and public expectation.
For royal watchers, The Showgirl and the Prince offers more than celebrity nostalgia. It opens a window onto a largely hidden chapter of Edward’s life, when Buckingham Palace, the West End and a young actress chasing stardom briefly became part of the same love story.