Ruthie Henshall to publish memoir about Prince Edward relationship
West End star ruthie henshall is preparing a memoir that she says was inspired by recently discovered love letters from Prince Edward, a book that revisits their five-year on-and-off relationship and could stir fresh attention within the royal household.
Ruthie Henshall's book title and publication date
The book, titled The Showgirl and the Prince, is scheduled for publication in July and is described as promising to reveal "the bittersweet joy of first love. " The memoir has been characterized elsewhere as a "funny, touching" account, and a publisher has signed the project.
Timeline: a five-year relationship from 1988 to 1993 and links to Sophie Rhys-Jones
Edward dated Henshall on and off between 1988 and 1993, a period that ended just before he met then-Sophie Rhys-Jones, who is now the Duchess of Edinburgh. The memoir reportedly traces the romance from secretive beginnings through private moments that included visits to Buckingham Palace and to Windsor for tea with Queen Elizabeth II.
Memorabilia and the moment that prompted the memoir
The five-time Olivier Award nominee says she was prompted to write after clearing out her garage five years ago and finding boxes of memorabilia. Henshall has recounted discovering old diaries she began writing in the 1980s and letters from Prince Edward, and she has described being struck by how precious that time in her life felt.
Stage life, love letters and personal reflections
Henshall has written that she was on the West End stage — her dream since childhood — while sharing a private love with a man "very few people even know. " She has said the prince's recently discovered love letters were what inspired her to write the memoir. Henshall added that she "genuinely fell in love with him, " that Edward was "kind and thoughtful, " and that she was "not like anyone he's dated before. "
Relations with the royals and questions about reaction
The actress is thought to have remained on "good terms" with Prince Edward and his wife, and she has said of the royals: "I have nothing but nice things to say about them all. The Queen, in particular, was lovely. Here I was, this chorus girl dating her son – it must have been her worst nightmare!" The forthcoming book is tipped to bring more angst among Palace staff and the wider Royal Family, and it is not known if the royals were given a preview. Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment. The report carrying these details is dated Friday, 27th February 2026.
The memoir promises a behind-the-curtain look at musical theatre life and the consequences that follow "when a showgirl falls in love with a prince, " as Henshall frames it.
