Intimate insights into the palacePrince Edward's ex writes book – new concern for the royals

In the middle of a phase in which the British royal family is already under special scrutiny, a new book announcement is causing a stir: the celebrated West End actress Ruthie Henshall wants to deal with her former relationship with Prince Edward through literature.

Her memoir is titled “The Showgirl and the Prince” and is scheduled to be released on July 16th. Henshall himself announced this on Instagram. According to The Telegraph, the five-time Olivier Award-nominated actress plans to tell the story of her romance with the late Elizabeth II's youngest son – from its discreet beginnings to visits to Buckingham Palace and tea times at Windsor Castle.

The trigger for the book project was a surprising find: while cleaning out her garage around five years ago, she discovered several boxes of memorabilia, including diaries from the 1980s and love letters from Edward.
Henshall and the prince met in 1988. At that time, the dancer was about to make her West End debut in “Cats” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Edward, 23 at the time, worked for the theater producer. A relationship developed between rehearsals and premieres that initially remained largely out of the public eye. As Henshall told the Telegraph, the prince called her during rehearsals and invited her to Buckingham Palace to watch musicals and have dinner together.

When their love finally became known, the Evening Standard picked up the topic with the headline “Prince and the Showgirl.” The relationship ended in 1993 – Henshall wanted to concentrate more on her career. Edward later married Sophie Rhys-Jones, now the Duchess of Edinburgh. According to the Telegraph, Henshall still has a good relationship with both of them today.

The actress had already been a topic of conversation in 2020. In the reality show “I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!”, the British equivalent of “I'm a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here!” She said she had been intimate in the bedrooms of Buckingham Palace, according to the Daily Mail. She also reported on a summer royal barbecue at Balmoral, where she was persuaded to sing the musical hit “I Dreamed A Dream”. The current King Charles III gave her the courage she needed. – with a few martinis, as Henshall confessed.

The book announcement is likely to cause unrest in the palace. The royal family is already under a lot of pressure because of the affair surrounding Edward's brother Andrew. It is not yet known whether the royal family was given access to the manuscript in advance.

Sources used: lpe/spot