The Duke of Edinburgh has reportedly held a pragmatic view on how royal duties impact his chosen partner – a perspective that shaped his early romance with West End star Ruthie Henshall and later influenced his marriage to Duchess Sophie.
West End star Ruthie Henshall opened up about her relationship with Edward, which took place from 1988 to 1993. During a recent appearance on Sunday Brunch, she discussed her newly released memoir, The Showgirl and the Prince.
King Charles' brother supposedly told her that "in a perfect world" he would have "two wives: one for the job, and one for the woman you loved - because you wouldn't want the woman you love [to go] through the job."
The comment suggests that Edward was aware of the toll it would take being part of the royal family, especially with Ruthie's career flourishing. She admitted: "It was never going to work."
Therefore, it's likely that the Prince was equally wary of Duchess Sophie giving up her career in PR when they married in 1999.
Unexpected love story that began on the West End
© GettyThe couple met in 1988 when the 21-year-old actress was working as a chorus girl in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End production of Cats, and 23-year-old Prince Edward was a production assistant.
Andrew wanted her to play the lead in A Star Is Born, and she said Edward was her point of contact.
"He was the one who'd call me up and say, 'You're rehearsing at 2 o'clock' or whatever. And he said to me, 'Would you like to come to mine and watch the film of A Star Is Born with me, and you can have some dinner.' I was like, 'What, at the Palace? Is that where you live?'" Ruthie recalled during her 2020 stint on I'm a Celebrity.
© GettyTheir on-off relationship blossomed quietly over five years, with Ruthie even joining the royals at Windsor Castle and Balmoral.
Despite the fact they welcomed her into the fold, she famously joked about her numerous faux pas with the royals, including breaking protocol when she first met his mother Queen Elizabeth. She explained to her I'm a Celeb campmates: "There's people sitting round [a table] and I'm thinking that looks like the Queen. And I remembered my dad had said to me that if you ever meet the Queen, he said you curtsy and call her ma'am.
"I grab her hand like this [handshake], forget all about the curtsy and I'm like, 'Really really pleased to meet you, really pleased to meet you.'"
Ruthie and Edward's split
© Tim GrahamRuthie ultimately decided to prioritise her career, leading to their split in 1993, the same year he struck up a romance with Duchess Sophie.
Despite their romance ending, she maintains fond memories of her time with Edward. Ruthie said she "genuinely fell in love with him", and added that he's a "prince of a man", which is reflected in her book.
On HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast, Ruthie reflected on how they tried to figure out a path forward. "He had said to me, 'Ruth, can you imagine what would have to happen if you wanted to do eight shows a week? The cost of that alone, of having to have sniffer dogs at the theatre every night and to have protection. That in itself would have been hard and expensive," she exclusively told us.
© Pool/Tim Graham Picture Library"I always thought we'd find a way. And I kept thinking about Edward and Mrs. Simpson. I thought this could be the greatest role of my life. And I could do some good. But the bottom line is - I was born to sing, dance and act. And I still get a kick out of it. If I'd have given it up, I would have been miserable. It's not my kind of life," she added.
On the subject of marriage, Ruthie admitted: "He did give me hope many times. But then off the back of that, he’d always say, 'You would have to give up your career and your life will change immeasurably.'"
The actress went on to star in She Loves Me, Les Misérables and Chicago, and was present when Prince Edward married Duchess Sophie at St George's Chapel in 1999.
