![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0_Royalty-Prince-Edward-1993.jpg\")
<\/p>\nActress Ruthie Henshall revealed her secret relationship with Prince Edward, which included surprise meetings with the late Queen, intimate moments behind the Palace walls, and handwritten love letters<\/p>\n
22:25, 03 Jul 2026Updated 22:26, 03 Jul 2026<\/p>\n
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Prince Eward with Ruthie Henshall(Image: EMPICS Entertainment)<\/p>\n
A West End legend has finally lifted the lid on a claimed secret romance with Prince Edward<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ruthie Henshall<\/a>, 59, has revealed everything from discovering \u201cHRH Edward\u201d stitched into the prince\u2019s underwear to leaving him \u201cbleary-eyed\u201d the next morning.<\/p>\n The actress shared intimate details of their five-year relationship in her new book, “The Showgirl and the Prince”, where she reveals how the pair met after the then-23-year-old prince left the Royal Marines to work as a production assistant at Andrew Lloyd Webber\u2019s theatre company.<\/p>\n Ruthie noticed an unexpected discovery in his underwear(Image: Mirrorpix)<\/p>\n At the time, his decision to leave military training made headlines. One report read: \u201cHis father, the handsome Honorary Captain General whose face now stared down from a nearby wall, had reportedly reacted to the possibility with such anger that he had reduced his son to prolonged tears. His Royal Highness Prince Edward was letting down the side: By resigning, he would become the first member of Britain\u2019s Royal Family<\/a> in memory to quit military training.\u201d<\/p>\n Edward moved into theatre, and as they spent more time together, the pair\u2019s friendship turned into a romance, she said. Ruthie said she would make a \u201cbeeline\u201d for Edward whenever he was around, admitting it was partly down to his royal title.<\/p>\n One of their early dates took place at Buckingham Palace<\/a>, where she made an unexpected discovery. She wrote: \u201cAs I discovered later, Edward had nametags in all his underwear. Yes, \u2018HRH Edward\u2019 adorned every piece.\u201d<\/p>\n But Ruthie claims it had made sense as the washing is done by Palace staff, and it had to be obvious whose underwear was whose.<\/p>\n Prince Edward wanted to keep their relationship quiet(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n The book, serialised in the Mail<\/a>, also claimed Edward wanted to take their relationship slowly. After their first passionate kiss, he wrote Ruthie an unexpected letter.<\/p>\n She added: \u201cHe sent me a letter asking me if I\u2019d be patient about sleeping together, as however much he fancied me he didn\u2019t want to go too fast and spoil something so special.\u201d<\/p>\n That wasn\u2019t the only letter the Prince had sent, Ruthie claimed Edward regularly sent her handwritten letters on Buckingham Palace headed paper, signing them with kisses instead of his name, and surprised her with flowers, usually freesias because they were her favourite.<\/p>\n When the couple eventually slept together in January 1989, Ruthie described Edward as \u201cromantic and gentle\u201d. She also joked she often left the prince \u201cbleary-eyed\u201d when he had to get up for work the following morning.<\/p>\n The memoir will be released July 16,2026.(Image: Mirrorpix)<\/p>\n The relationship also introduced Ruthie to royal life, with Edward later taking her to Windsor Castle, where he unexpectedly introduced her to Queen Elizabeth II. She recalled suddenly realising the woman walking towards them was the late monarch. She remembered thinking: \u201cOh f***, it IS the Queen!\u201d Edward introduced them by saying: \u201cMama, this is Ruth.\u201d<\/p>\n Ruthie admitted she completely forgot the royal etiquette her father had taught her and instinctively shook the Queen\u2019s hand instead of curtsying. The actress later joined the rest of the Royal Family<\/a> for tea, including Prince Philip<\/a>, Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother and Sarah Ferguson where the monarch chatted to her about horse riding after learning she had been nervous during a lesson earlier that day.<\/p>\n Ruthie Henshall reveals her love affair with the Prince(Image: Max Cisotti\/Dave Benett\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Ruthie claims it was just one of many memorable moments from their five-year relationship, which remained largely out of the public eye.<\/p>\n The memoir will be released July 16, 2026.<\/p>\n![\"Ruthie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0_Ruthie-Henshall.jpg\")
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