Ruthie Henshall’s Memoir Reveals Prince Edward Once Wished for ‘Two Wives’

Before Prince Edward settled into married life with Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, he once told a girlfriend he wished he could have two wives — one for royal duty, and one for love. The admission comes from a new memoir by West End actress Ruthie Henshall, who dated Edward from 1988 to 1993.

In her book, “The Showgirl and the Prince,” Henshall recalls Edward telling her: “Ruth, I couldn’t put you through the job. If I could, I would have two wives. One for the job, and one whom I loved, because you would never want to subject the woman you love to the job.”

Henshall, 59, and Edward, 62, met in 1988 while she was starring in “Cats” and he was working as a production assistant for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatre Company. A relationship followed, but as it grew more serious, Henshall says the demands of royal life became harder to ignore.

Fox News Digital reached out to both Henshall and Edward for comment. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson previously said the palace does not comment on books.

A Relationship Weighed Against Duty

Henshall writes that she initially believed love could override the rigid expectations of marrying into the royal family. “Of course, I had spotted some etiquette dilemmas, but typically I’d just assumed that I’d be able to break the rules,” she wrote. “That an exception would be made for me. … So, there were times when I felt torn about it all, but as far as I was concerned, I just wanted him.”

She also recalls asking Sarah Ferguson, then married to Prince Andrew, whether she would ever be permitted to marry Edward. “She probably knew there wasn’t a chance in hell, but still kindly said she didn’t know,” Henshall wrote.

Royal commentator Amanda Matta told Fox News Digital that Edward’s remark reflects a long pattern among royal men. “This type of thinking is very standard for royal men throughout history,” Matta said. “It’s why royal mistresses were so common. For most of history, official marriages have been strategic and political arrangements. But the royals are still people, and they need intimacy and companionship like anyone else.”

Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner said Henshall’s theatrical world appealed to Edward directly, noting his role as president of the National Youth Music Theatre at the time. Turner said Henshall was nervous meeting the royal family, including the late Queen, and once forgot to curtsy to her. “I feel, although she felt deeply fond of Edward, she realized she could not marry him and still have her beloved career, which was her main passion,” Turner said.

Why the Relationship Ended

Henshall ultimately concluded that her career and his royal obligations were incompatible. “We had wanted to be together,” she wrote. “We had tried desperately to make it work. But it seemed impossible because of who he was, and what I wanted to do in my career. There was this push–pull going on all the time, and we’d reached a point of no return.”

She added: “I fell in love with him, and it wasn’t because he was a prince. … But at times, it was only too obvious that we came from different worlds.”

Matta said she doubts Henshall would have altered royal tradition had the marriage happened. “I don’t think Henshall would have shaken up the institution very much,” Matta said. “I suspect that, if she’d married him, she would have adapted to the role rather than reinvented it. That may have even meant giving up her career, as Sophie later had to do.”

Despite the breakup, Turner said the two have remained friendly. “As far as I know, their great friendship has remained through the decades,” he said.

Life After the Breakup

Edward married Sophie in 1999. She left her public relations career to become a full-time working royal, and the couple have two children, Lady Louise, 22, and James, Earl of Wessex, 18. Edward and Sophie chose not to use prince and princess titles for their children, allowing each to decide at 18 whether to adopt royal styling; neither has done so, according to People magazine.

Sophie has since become known as one of the family’s most dependable members, taking on added duties as King Charles scales back the working monarchy. Royal broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard called her “the royal family’s ‘secret weapon'” and said she is “a huge asset to King Charles and the institution,” noting she puts “duty above all else.”

Matta said Sophie appears to have become, in practice, what Edward once thought he would need two women to provide. “If anything, she ended up being everything he once thought he’d have to look for in different places!” Matta said.