West End star Ruthie Henshall has claimed she enjoyed 'a lot of very hot sex' with Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, in a new memoir. The 59-year-old actress detailed their on-off relationship from 1989 to 1993, revealing intimate moments and how the prince helped her overcome feelings of shame from childhood abuse.
Meeting and Early Relationship
Henshall and Prince Edward met in 1988 when she was 21 and he was 23. At the time, she was performing in the chorus for the Really Useful Group's production of Cats, while he worked as a production assistant at the same company. They first slept together in January 1989, and their relationship continued intermittently until 1993.
In an interview with The Times ahead of the release of her memoir The Showgirl and the Prince, Henshall addressed long-standing rumors about Prince Edward's sexuality. 'Believe me, [homosexuality] is not part of that man's past,' she stated.
Overcoming Trauma
The musical theater actress endured abuse as a child, and she explained that Prince Edward helped her feel 'clean' during sex. 'I never felt clean. It was always like I was trying to wash it off me… He was so gentle and loving, and there was not an ounce of aggression in him,' she said. 'There was something safe about him, so I felt really good about my body. There was so much love there.'
Why They Never Married
Despite wanting to become Prince Edward's princess, Henshall revealed that he told her he 'couldn't put [her] through the job' and that 'you would never subject the woman you love to the job.' She added that he recently said he was trying to protect her.
Thoughts on Duchess Sophie
Speaking about Prince Edward's wife, Duchess of Edinburgh Sophie, Henshall said it was clear that they loved each other very much and were one another's best friend. She also shared that she met with Prince Edward before publishing the memoir, and he told her she had 'every right' to tell her story. She assured him it might make him blush but that she had treated the whole thing 'very respectfully.'
Prince Edward's private secretary declined to comment on the claims. Henshall shares two children with her ex-husband Timothy Howard.
