Prince Edward’s Former West End Romance Resurfaces As Ruthie Henshall Shares Rare Palace Memories
Prince Edward’s private past has returned to the spotlight after West End star Ruthie Henshall opened up about their former relationship in her new memoir, The Showgirl and the Prince.
The actress, now 59, says she shared a five-year romance with Edward during the period when he was trying to build a career away from the traditional royal path. According to the account, the pair first crossed paths after Edward left Royal Marines training and moved into theatre, working as a production assistant for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s company.
Prince Eward with Ruthie Henshall(Image: EMPICS Entertainment)
That decision had already caused headlines at the time, with Edward facing intense scrutiny for walking away from military life. But behind the public conversation about duty and expectation, Henshall says a friendship began to grow into something more personal.
In excerpts from the memoir, Ruthie recalls being drawn to Edward whenever he appeared in theatre circles. She admits the royal connection was part of the intrigue at first, but says the relationship soon became a meaningful chapter of her life.
One of the more memorable details in her account involves an early visit to Buckingham Palace, where she says she noticed a surprisingly practical royal household habit: Edward’s clothing was labelled so Palace staff could identify it after laundry. It was a small detail, but one that gave her a glimpse of how ordinary domestic routines worked inside an extraordinary setting.
Ruthie noticed an unexpected discovery in his underwear(Image: Mirrorpix)
Henshall also claims Edward was careful about the pace of their relationship. After one early romantic moment, she says he sent her a handwritten letter asking for patience, explaining that he did not want to rush something he considered special.
The actress says those letters became part of the romance. According to her, Edward would write on Buckingham Palace headed paper, often signing off with kisses rather than his name. She also recalls flowers arriving, especially freesias, which she says were her favourite.
The relationship, as she describes it, also brought her into contact with senior members of the Royal Family. During one visit to Windsor Castle, Edward unexpectedly introduced her to Queen Elizabeth II. Ruthie says the moment caught her completely off guard and that she instinctively shook the late monarch’s hand instead of curtsying.
Prince Edward wanted to keep their relationship quiet(Image: Getty Images)
She later joined members of the family for tea, including Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother and Sarah Ferguson. The Queen, she says, spoke to her about horse riding after learning she had been nervous during a lesson earlier in the day.
For royal watchers, the story offers a rare look at Edward before his marriage to Sophie, now the Duchess of Edinburgh, and before he became one of the most steady senior figures supporting King Charles’s slimmed-down monarchy.
It also revives a fascinating period in Edward’s life, when he was navigating criticism over his career choices while attempting to find a place for himself outside the expected military route taken by many royal men before him.
The memoir will be released July 16,2026.(Image: Mirrorpix)
Henshall’s memoir is expected to give more detail about how the relationship developed, how it was kept largely out of the spotlight, and what it felt like to move between the theatre world and the private spaces of royal life.
While the claims are personal, they are being framed as part of a wider coming-of-age story: a young prince trying to define his future, a rising stage performer caught up in an unexpected royal romance, and a relationship that remained mostly hidden until now.
Decades later, Edward is known for his long marriage to Sophie and his work with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, while Ruthie remains one of the most recognisable figures in British musical theatre. But her recollections have placed their youthful romance back at the centre of royal conversation.
Ruthie Henshall reveals her love affair with the Prince(Image: Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
For fans of royal history, it is a story of theatre, Palace letters, family introductions and the strange collision between public duty and private emotion. And with the memoir now drawing attention, one of the quieter chapters of Edward’s early adult life is suddenly being discussed all over again.
