West End performer Ruthie Henshall, 59, has described herself as Queen Elizabeth II’s “worst nightmare” ahead of the publication of a memoir that reveals intimate details of her five-year relationship with Prince Edward.
The book, titled The Showgirl and the Prince, is scheduled for release in July and will offer what Henshall calls a "brutally honest" account of their romance within royal circles.
The actress and singer began her relationship with the Duke of Edinburgh in 1988 after they crossed paths while both working with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Their courtship represented one of the most significant relationships in the late Queen's youngest son's life before his 1999 marriage to Sophie, now Duchess of Edinburgh.
West End performer Ruthie Henshall, 59, has described herself as Queen Elizabeth II’s “worst nightmare” ahead of the publication of a memoir that reveals intimate details of her five-year relationship with Prince Edward.
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On social media, Henshall described the memoir as recounting "a deep love" and "a life beyond my wildest dreams".
Speaking to Yours magazine ahead of the book's publication, Henshall recounted a mortifying first encounter with the late Queen.
Despite her father's careful coaching on royal etiquette, nerves got the better of her when the moment arrived.
"The late Queen in particular was lovely," Henshall said. "I remember my dad had told me that if you ever met the Queen you curtsied and called her ma'am."
The actress and singer began her relationship with the Duke of Edinburgh in 1988 after they crossed paths while both working with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
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Rather than following protocol, she instinctively seized the monarch's hand.
"When I did meet her, I forgot to curtsy and grabbed her by the hand saying, 'I'm really pleased to meet you, really pleased to meet you'," she recalled.
"Here I was, this chorus girl dating her youngest son it must have been her worst nightmare."
Despite her concerns about how she might be perceived, Henshall said the late monarch proved gracious and welcoming throughout their encounters.
The performer has spoken fondly of Prince Edward himself, calling him "kind and thoughtful" and "a lovely bloke".
"I genuinely fell in love with him," she said. "I suppose I was not like anyone he'd dated before, a warm and flirty leotard-clad chorus girl, prone to telling risqué jokes and drinking and smoking too much."
The memoir promises to offer readers an unusual window into the Duke of Edinburgh's life before royal responsibilities became his primary focus, alongside glimpses of the late Queen away from public view.
Henshall maintained such good relations with her former partner that she received an invitation to his wedding to Sophie at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
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The relationship ultimately came to an end due to the pressures of their respective professional lives, though the pair parted amicably.
Henshall maintained such good relations with her former partner that she received an invitation to his wedding to Sophie at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have not commented on the forthcoming publication.