Prince Edward has found himself back in the spotlight after new claims about his former relationship with West End star Ruthie Henshall resurfaced in her memoir, The Showgirl And The Prince. But the Duke of Edinburghâs response â or lack of one â is now being framed as a striking contrast to Prince Harryâs more combative public style.
In a sharply worded Daily Mail column, Jan Moir argues that Edward and Harry have taken very different approaches to life as royal âsparesâ. Edward, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, has faced his own share of awkward headlines, career setbacks and public embarrassment over the decades. Yet, according to the column, he has largely absorbed those moments quietly and continued with royal duty.
The Duke of Edinburgh works hard and has never publicly complained nor moaned about his lot
The way both Harry and Edward have played the hand that fate has dealt them while negotiating the highs and lows of royal life couldn’t be more different (pictured, Harry)
Harry, by contrast, is portrayed as still locked in a noisy battle with the institution he left behind. The piece points to his ongoing legal fights, his public statements and his repeated complaints about the Royal Family and the media as evidence of a prince still struggling with the hand he was dealt.
The comparison is especially pointed because Edward is, in royal birth order terms, even further from the throne than Harry. As the third son and fourth child of the late Queen, Edward was never expected to inherit the central role. But instead of building a public identity around grievance, the column suggests, he has become one of the monarchyâs quieter stabilising figures.
In lurid prose, Miss Henshall detailed her five-year ‘passionate’ relationship with Edward, which began in 1988 when both were working for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production company in the West End
‘I’d make a beeline for him,’ she writes, ‘partly because he was royal and it was a bit of a coup that he knew who I was⊠I’ve always had a potty mouth, and I don’t suppose he’d had many chorus girls flirting with him with such filth’
Yes, Edward never wanted their affair to be made public and clearly did not view Ruthie as wife material, but he did introduce her to his family and she did spend time with them at Balmoral and Windsor
That does not mean Edwardâs path has always been smooth. The article revisits past controversies, including his short-lived Royal Marines career, the heavily criticised television company Ardent, and the infamous Itâs A Royal Knockout episode. It also notes that Henshallâs memoir has now revived a deeply personal chapter from his younger life, describing their five-year relationship and time spent around royal residences.
For a happily married man with the Duchess of Edinburgh beside him and two grown-up children, the renewed attention is unlikely to be welcome. Yet Edward has not issued angry statements, launched public rebuttals or tried to turn the moment into another royal confrontation. That restraint is presented as part of his strength.
The column also highlights the way Edwardâs former relationship is portrayed. Despite the colourful details, he comes across as steady and decent, someone who introduced Henshall to his family, spent time with hers and, eventually, let her down gently. The wider royal household is also described as having treated her kindly during the relationship.
That point is used to draw another contrast with the Sussex narrative, particularly Meghan Markleâs claims of feeling unsupported and unwelcome inside the royal world. Moir is careful to note that the situations were very different, involving different women and different eras. But the column still suggests Edward may have understood the system â and guided his partner through it â in a calmer way.
The bigger argument is not simply about one old romance. It is about temperament. Edwardâs approach is framed as one of endurance, routine and dignity. Harryâs is framed as emotional, restless and confrontational. One keeps working. The other keeps fighting.
Whether royal fans agree with the comparison or not, the timing has made the contrast impossible to ignore. Edward has been hit by embarrassing headlines and remained silent. Harry, after setbacks in his privacy case and continuing family tensions, remains at the centre of dramatic public debate.
In the end, the column suggests the quiet royal may have the stronger hand. Edward may never have been the most glamorous member of the family, but his steady presence has become increasingly valuable. And in a monarchy weary of drama, that kind of calm may speak louder than any statement ever could.
