Prince Edward, King Charles’ brother, finds himself in an awkward spot as his former West End partner prepares to publish a candid memoir about their secret five-year relationship—material that could be “nightmarish” for the Palace.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who turned 62 on March 10, is bracing for the July release of Ruthie Henshall’s “The Showgirl and the Prince.” Henshall, 59, who was linked to him from 1988 to 1993, is represented by Pan Macmillan, which calls the book “a funny, intimate and touching memoir.” Richard Fitzwilliams notes the timing comes amid what he terms the monarchy’s “most serious crisis since the 1990s.”
Fitzwilliams warned King Charles about possible fallout from the memoir given the monarchy’s fragile state. “For courtiers, the potential mix of scandal and stardom may well be nightmarish,” he told the Daily Mail. He suggested that if Henshall is as candid as she was on TV, the book could be explosive, and pointed out that the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are among just four working royals under 70, making the timing more delicate.
He added there is “considerable concern that it will contain intimate insights into their time together and raise fears of another threat waiting to detonate” for an already strained royal household. Renewed focus on another brother’s private life would not help King Charles.
Separately, their brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He spent 11 hours in custody while police searched Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate and his former Windsor home, Royal Lodge, before being released under investigation.
Henshall, a five-time Olivier nominee who won Best Actress in a Musical for “She Loves Me,” has appeared in “Chicago,” “Billy Elliot,” “Miss Saigon” and “Cats.” She discovered old love letters from Prince Edward while clearing her garage five years ago, which prompted her to write about their relationship that began when Edward, then 23, worked as a production assistant at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatre Company.
During their romance, Henshall secretly visited Buckingham Palace and had tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor. They broke up in 1993 after Henshall opted to prioritize her stage career. When the relationship later became public, the Evening Standard ran the headline: “Prince and the Showgirl.”
Fitzwilliams is particularly uneasy about the remarks Henshall made on “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” in 2020, when she made unexpectedly frank comments to Shane Richie about intimate moments with the prince at Buckingham Palace. She also claimed she performed for the royals after drinking martinis at Balmoral.
Henshall later said she was surprised her comments were broadcast, saying she thought she had covered her clip-on mic and hadn’t realized other microphones were on. She contacted Prince Edward after the show but would not disclose the content of their conversation.
After their split, Henshall got engaged to Scottish actor John Gordon Sinclair, though that engagement ended around the time of Prince Edward’s 1999 wedding, which both attended. She married Canadian singer Tim Howar in 2004, had two daughters with him, and they divorced in early 2010. She has maintained good relations with Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Despite the upcoming memoir, Prince Edward continues his public duties. He and Sophie traveled to Italy to support Team GB at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games, where Edward serves as Patron of the British Paralympic Association, watching events and meeting athletes.
Prince Edward was granted the Duke of Edinburgh title on March 10, 2023, his 59th birthday, fulfilling a promise tied to his 1999 wedding. King Charles III bestowed the title in recognition of Edward’s long support for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a major legacy of Prince Philip.
The family lives quietly at Bagshot Park in Surrey with their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, and three dogs. Sophie once praised her husband as a devoted father and partner in a speech that moved him to tears.
