Prince Edward's former girlfriend Ruthie Henshall has revealed in a new book that the prince once told her he wished he could have two wives. The revelation appears in Henshall's memoir, The Showgirl and the Prince, which details her relationship with the royal from 1988 to 1993.
According to the book, Edward told her: “Ruth, I couldn't put you through the job.” He reportedly added: “If I could, I would have two wives. One for the job, and one whom I loved, because you would never want to subject the woman you love to the job.”
A Royal Romance Begins
The couple first met in 1988 when Henshall was starring in the musical Cats. At the time, Edward was working as a production assistant for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatre Company.
Henshall writes that she made a beeline for the prince, and initially believed love might be enough to overcome the expectations of marrying into the royal family. She recalls: “Of course, I had spotted some etiquette dilemmas, but typically I'd just assumed that I'd be able to break the rules, that an exception would be made for me. I knew how to be a good girl, but I also knew that the possibility of me going out on a wild night and flashing my boobs in public was quite high. So, there were times when I felt torn about it all, but as far as I was concerned, I just wanted him.”
Different Worlds
As her career began to rise, Henshall realised that she and Prince Edward came from different worlds and that their relationship would not work. She says: “We had wanted to be together,” adding, “We had tried desperately to make it work. But it seemed impossible because of who he was, and what I wanted to do in my career. There was this push–pull going on all the time, and we'd reached a point of no return.”
She continues: “I fell in love with him, and it wasn't because he was a prince. ... But at times, it was only too obvious that we came from different worlds.”
Life After the Breakup
Edward went on to marry now-Duchess Sophie in 1999, who later gave up her public relations career to become a full-time working royal. The couple have two children together, Lady Louise and James Earl of Wessex.
Daily Express has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
