Prince Edward is now happily married to Duchess Sophie – but, for many years, there were widespread rumours about his sexuality.
West End star Ruthie Henshall, who dated the Prince for five years in his 20s, opened up about what he really thought about speculation he was actually gay.
Speaking on HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast, Ruthie said: "When he came out of the Marines, he went into showbiz, and then people thought he therefore must be gay. That was how the rumours started."
She said that, at first, Edward would "roll his eyes and just laugh about it" but later his reaction became very different…
To find out what Prince Edward thought about the rumours, you can watch the full episode of HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast above.
Ruthie added: "Without revealing too much, one of his staff was gay. He had no problem with anybody being gay. Not around him."
Prince Edward's romance with Ruthie Henshall
Ruthie, now 59, details her romance with Prince Edward in her new book, The Showgirl And The Prince.
In one passage, she reveals that once they'd made love for the first time, she knew he wasn't gay. "No, that boy ain't gay. That's what I thought," she said.
© Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty ImRuthie first crossed paths with Prince Edward in 1988 when he was 23 and working as a production assistant for Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Really Useful Theatre Company.
Her memoir includes intimate details of their "very passionate affair", with Ruthie telling HELLO! in an exclusive photoshoot and interview: "I used to keep him up all night."
The romance eventually sizzled out, but Ruthie says they're still in touch and speak on the phone several times a year.
© Getty ImagesRuthie has two children with her former husband, Tim Howar – Lily, 23, and Dolly, 21.
Meanwhile, the now Duke of Edinburgh married Duchess Sophie in 1999, and they share Lady Louise Windsor, 22, and James, Earl of Wessex, 18.
The Showgirl and the Prince was published on 16 July by Macmillan.
