Prince Edward's ex-girlfriend's forthcoming memoir could spell trouble for the Palace during an already turbulent period for the monarchy, a royal commentator has claimed.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who is marking his 62nd birthday today, may face a challenging year with the July publication looming.
Richard Fitzwilliams claimed that Ruthie Henshall's book, titled The Showgirl and The Prince, "will likely cause much concern at the Palace" and warned that "for courtiers, the potential mix of scandal and stardom may well be nightmarish."
He added: "If she is as open about their romance as she was on television, just think what it could contain.
Prince Edward's ex-girlfriend's book set to cause 'considerable concern' over 'toxic' fears
|GETTY / PA
"There is considerable concern that it will contain intimate insights into their time together."
The West End performer and the prince conducted a clandestine on-and-off relationship spanning five years, from 1988 to 1993.
Their paths first crossed when Edward, then 23, was employed as a production assistant for Andrew Lloyd Webber, with conversations about theatrical productions soon giving way to romance.
Before long, Ms Henshall was making discreet visits to Buckingham Palace and taking tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor.
Ruthie Henshall attending Prince Edward's wedding in 1999 | GETTYMr Fitzwilliams highlighted Ms Henshall's 2020 appearance on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! as a cause for particular concern.
During the programme, the actress made unexpectedly frank revelations to comedian Shane Richie about her intimate life with the royal.
She told the campmate: "You performed in Buckingham Palace, you sang in the gardens, I sh****d in the bedrooms."
She also disclosed giving a musical performance to the Royal Family after becoming "p****d on martinis" during a visit to Balmoral.
Ruthie Henshall pictured in October last year | GETTYMr Fitzwilliam explained: "What makes her memoir potentially toxic is the way she discussed their affair on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!."
During the show, Ms Henshall described Edward as "a lovely bloke" whilst speaking candidly about their physical relationship within the Palace walls.
Ms Henshall later revealed she had been unaware her conversation would be broadcast, having covered her clip-on microphone with her hand during the exchange with Mr Richie, not realising microphones were positioned throughout the camp.
She told the Mail at the time: "When I was having my exit interview, Ant and Dec played my best bits, and out of the ether I could hear myself saying: 'I've sh***d in the Palace.' I was quite shocked."
The actress is understood to have maintained an amicable relationship with both Edward and his wife Sophie, and contacted the prince following the broadcast, though she declined to share details of their discussion.
Ruthie Henshall and John Gordon Sinclair arriving at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle for the wedding of Prince Edward | PAMs Henshall ended the romance in 1993, recognising that continuing would have meant sacrificing her theatrical ambitions.
"I genuinely fell in love with him," she said, describing their time together as "a wonderful part of my story."
The 58-year-old Olivier Award winner decided to document their story after stumbling upon correspondence from the prince whilst clearing out her garage five years ago.
After the memoir was announced last month, Ms Henshall told the Telegraph: "I found old diaries which I began writing in the 1980s and then found all my letters from Prince Edward, and I was struck by how precious this time in my life was."
GB News has contacted Ms Henshall for comment.