Prince Edward’s ex-girlfriend has revealed deails of her first meeting with the royal family ahead of her memoir release.
Ruthie Henshall, 59, admitted she broke royal protocol seconds after meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II, calling it a mess.
In conversation with a maazine she claimed that despite her father’s careful coaching on royal etiquette, nerves got the better of her when the moment arrived.
Speaking to Yours ahead of the book’s publication, the actress and singer priased the late monarch, saying: “The Queen in particular was lovely.”
Henshall added: “I remember my dad had told me that if you ever met the Queen you curtsied and called her ma’am.”
But things went unexpectedly off plan. Instead of bowing or curtsying, she instinctively grabbed 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.
“I genuinely fell in love with him,” she admitted.
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.
Their courtship represented one of the most significant relationships in Edward’s life before his 1999 marriage to Sophie, now Duchess of Edinburgh.
The two began dating in 1988 after they crossed paths while both working with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
2026-06-11 15:18:00
