Ruthie Henshall, the former girlfriend of Prince Edward, has lifted the lid on their relationship in a new memoir titled The Showgirl and the Prince. The 58-year-old actress and dancer shares intimate details of her romance with the Duke of Edinburgh, including his cautious approach to physical intimacy.
In the book, Henshall claims Edward wrote her a letter asking if she would be patient about sleeping together, adding that he ‘didn’t want to go too fast’. She, however, was ‘always trying to tempt him into bed. And not to sleep.’ Henshall insists the prince was ‘romantic and gentle and definitely NOT GAY’, and that he ‘clearly had experience’.
The couple met through composer Andrew Lloyd Webber: Henshall was starring in Cats while Edward worked as a production assistant. She recalls raiding the palace cupboards for alcohol when no one was home, often sneaking Bacardi and Cokes. Despite their romance ending, Henshall speaks warmly of Edward, describing his ‘gentle, positive energy’ and how his demeanour would calm her down.
The pair parted on good terms, and Henshall received a wedding invitation for Edward’s marriage to Sophie at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Neither the Duke nor Duchess of Edinburgh has commented on the memoir.
