Prince Edward's Ex-Girlfriend to Write Tell-All Memoir with All the Details of Their Romance

From secret palace dinners to handwritten love letters, Prince Edward's former girlfriend is opening up about their once-hidden romance. Her new memoir promises an intimate glimpse into royal life and is already sparking debate.

A cache of old correspondence has prompted Ruthie Henshall to revisit a chapter of royal history that many assumed had long been closed.

The West End star is set to publish "The Showgirl and the Prince" in July 2026, a memoir detailing her on-and-off romance with Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, before he met Sophie Rhys-Jones, now Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

The 58-year-old performer said the idea for the book emerged after she uncovered boxes of diaries and letters while clearing out her garage five years ago.

"I found old diaries which I began writing in the 1980s and then found all my letters from Prince Edward, and I was struck by how precious this time in my life was," she shared. Those letters, written when the Prince was in his early 20s, form the emotional backbone of the memoir.

At the time they met in 1988, Ruthie was making her West End debut as a chorus girl in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats." Prince Edward was working for the impresario and moved in very different circles — yet their worlds collided backstage and, soon enough, beyond it. She recalled:

"I was on the West End stage — my dream since I was a girl — and shared a love with a man very few people even know. If this was someone else's story, I would think they had made it up. So here it is — a look behind the curtain of a crazy life in musical theatre and what happens next when a showgirl falls in love with a prince."

In the early days, the relationship unfolded largely out of sight. Ruthie has said the Prince would telephone her during rehearsals and invite her to Buckingham Palace for dinner or to watch musicals.

When news of the romance eventually broke, the Evening Standard captured the contrast with a now-famous headline that read, "Prince and the Showgirl."

Despite the tabloid framing, Ruthie has consistently maintained that the relationship was not fleeting. "I genuinely fell in love with him," she once said, pushing back against suggestions that it was merely a youthful interlude.

According to Pan Macmillan, the book traces the relationship from its discreet beginnings to more formal moments, including visits to Buckingham Palace and tea at Windsor Castle with the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The publisher described it as "a funny, intimate, and touching memoir" and pitched it as "a real-life Cinderella story — if Cinders is a lycra-clad chorus girl from Bromley who drinks and smokes too much."

The couple eventually separated in 1993, with Ruthie choosing to focus on her career.

Ruthie has repeatedly spoken warmly about the Royal family. "I have nothing but nice things to say about them all," she said. "The Queen, in particular, was lovely. Here I was, this chorus girl dating her son — it must have been her worst nightmare!"

Yet, while her reflections are affectionate, they have not always been discreet. During an appearance on "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" in 2020, she was reportedly shocked to learn that her remark about having had sexual encounters in Buckingham Palace had been picked up by microphones and broadcast.

Ruthie has also recalled being invited to a Royal family summer barbecue at Balmoral, where Diana, Princess of Wales, encouraged her to perform "I Dreamed A Dream" from "Les Misérables" before senior royals.

In 2023, she reflected on the moment with characteristic candour. "I wasn't nervous because Charles had just made me a couple of Martinis, which is why I ended up singing in front of the Queen," she said, adding:

"I was feeling no pain, because I was three sheets to the wind! It will always be one of my greatest honours. Diana was there, Princess Margaret, the Queen Mum, Edward, and Charles."

The couple eventually separated in 1993, with Ruthie choosing to focus on her career. She later married, had two daughters, and built a distinguished stage résumé, starring in productions including "Chicago," "Billy Elliot," "Oliver!" and more.

The performer also appeared as a judge on "Dancing on Ice" and took on a role in "Coronation Street" in 2024, playing a cruise ship singer.

Despite the eventual split, Ruthie is understood to have remained on good terms with Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and reportedly attended their 1999 wedding. But even so, the prospect of a memoir built around royal love letters may cause unease within palace circles.

As for the showgirl, it was only during her exit interview that she realised what had happened as she was played back her best moments.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told The Daily Mail that ahead of publication, "there will be considerable concern that it will contain intimate insights into their time together."

He warned that Edward, generally one of the more reserved royals, could face a difficult year, adding, "He will now be drawn into the line of fire at a time when the monarchy faces its most serious crisis since the 1990s."

The concern is amplified by the already turbulent backdrop of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office on his 66th birthday. Prince Edward's brother spent 11 hours in custody while officers searched his property at Sandringham before being released under investigation.

The royal commentator pointed to Ruthie's stint on "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" as the root of palace anxiety, noting that "the potential mix of scandal and stardom may well be nightmarish" for courtiers.

As for the showgirl, it was only during her exit interview that she realised what had happened as she was played back her best moments. Ruthie later told The Daily Mail:

"Out of the ether I could hear myself saying, 'I've [expletive] in the Palace.' I was quite shocked. You say things in there, and you forget you are on a show 24/7."

She confirmed she had been in touch with Edward afterwards, but refused to share what was said between them. Online, readers had plenty to say.

Several netizens noted Ruthie's striking resemblance to Catherine, Princess of Wales, one person sharing, "She looks like Kate M." Another added, "She looks like Kate, in her younger years," while a third echoed that sentiment, typing, "Looks a lot like Kate in her younger days."

The comparisons, however, gave way to sharper opinions about the memoir itself. One person commented, "What a lowlife. So she missed out on the ring. Edward and Sophie don't deserve this. They've worked hard."

Another wrote, "Money money money. What a despicable woman. Poor Sophie and children." A third commenter shared, "Kiss, then tell, is not a nice thing to do !! And to do it for money Very unladylike. Edward dodged a bullet [sic] !!"

Others were blunter still. "Somethings Should be Kept Private! Never heard of her and frankly I don't want too, if she is making Cash off a Past Relationship! No Morals or integrity, Sad Mare! 😬 [sic]" another observer remarked.

It is not known whether Buckingham Palace has been given advance sight of the manuscript. However, the palace was contacted for comment. Meanwhile, reaction online has continued to be swift and sharply divided.

One person commented, "Sounds like blackmail," while another typed, "Skeletons in cupboards making a $$." A third wrote, "Jumping on the bandwagon," and a fourth netizen echoed that sentiment, sharing, "Boy! The Royal accusers are going to have to get a bigger bandwagon."

Others dismissed the notion of scandal altogether, with one netizen remarking, "I believe it includes tea at the Palace with the Queen ….. how can he survive the scandal ….? [sic]?" A final person shared, "A bit more won't hurt."

Whether readers approach the memoir as nostalgia, revelation, or theatrical flourish, it reopens a relationship that once unfolded between stage lights and state rooms.

In July, Ruthie will publish her account of what she still frames as first love — told not through rumour or headlines, but through diaries, memories, and the letters she kept.