The Showgirl and the Prince: The charming and candid real-life Cinderella story of royalty and 1980s showbiz

by Ruthie Henshall

The Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller

'A rollicking good this is royal memoir by way of Jilly Cooper' – Daily Telegraph

'Sensational' – Daily Mail

From much-loved West End and Broadway star Ruthie Henshall, The Showgirl and the Prince is a funny, honest and touching real-life Cinderella story – if Cinders is a lycra-clad chorus girl from Bromley who drinks and smokes too much.

In 1988, Ruthie was at the start of her career, a chorus girl in Cats (third feline from the left). That was when she met Prince Edward, who was working for Andrew Lloyd Webber at the time. Edward is kind and thoughtful; Ruthie is warm, flirty and prone to telling risqué jokes. She’s not like anyone he’s dated before . . .

In this charming and poignant memoir, Ruthie describes a seminal period in her life, navigating a secret relationship with Prince Edward while determinedly following her dream of landing a leading West End role. She shares hilarious backstage stories from some of the era’s biggest musicals – including Miss Saigon, Les Misérables and Crazy for You – rocks up to Buckingham Palace in dungarees over a leotard (the height of 80s fashion), has tea at Windsor with the Queen and charms Prince Philip at Balmoral. But as she swaps her hotpants for Laura Ashley frocks and tries to be good, she wonders can she have her happy ever after?

Packed with parties, gossip and glamour, The Showgirl and the Prince will transport you back to 1980s and 1990s London, recreating a golden era of musical theatre and the bittersweet joy of first love.

'Ruthie would have been an honest, grounded, flawed, funny, talented, relatable and riveting addition to the House of Windsor' – Vanessa Feltz, Daily Express

Genres: Nonfiction

350 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 16, 2026

Reviews

[Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m sure the hook for a lot of people is she dated Prince Edward. I was much more interested in the fact she played Ellen in Miss Saigon and Fantine at the same time for a day.

[Beth Pickard · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 stars. I took a star off because I found some moments in the book a little self indulgent and some music references were inaccurate as the artist referenced was barely 11 and hadn’t recorded a single song at the time claimed… but maybe I’m too literal and she was speaking figuratively. Enjoyed reading about their love story, which was special. Reading Ruthie’s perspective on all the musicals she has been in was very interesting.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Showgirl and the Prince. As someone who is completely obsessed with musical theatre, getting to hear Ruthie Henshall tell the story of the woman behind so many iconic West End performances was always going to be right up my street, but this book gave me so much more than I expected.

Ruthie takes us back to the beginning of her career, when she was a young performer working in Cats, and follows her journey through the incredible world of musical theatre in the 1980s and 1990s. Alongside the auditions, rehearsals, backstage stories and career highs is the extraordinary story of her relationship with Prince Edward. The two met in 1988 while Ruthie was performing in Cats, and their relationship continued for around five years while her own career was developing.

But what I loved most was that this never felt like a book that was simply about dating a member of the Royal Family. The royal story is obviously fascinating, and there are plenty of brilliant moments involving Buckingham Palace, Windsor, Balmoral and meeting members of the Royal Family, but the heart of the book is Ruthie's own journey. She is a performer, a woman chasing her dreams and someone trying to work out exactly who she wants to be while her life is changing at an extraordinary speed.

The musical theatre content was probably my favourite part. Hearing about shows such as Cats, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon and Crazy for You from someone who was actually there was absolutely fascinating. As an aspiring musical theatre performer myself, I loved getting that glimpse behind the curtain and hearing about the realities of building a career, rather than just seeing the finished productions from the audience. Ruthie's career is genuinely remarkable, and reading about her progression from chorus girl to leading lady was incredibly inspiring.

I also really appreciated how honest the book feels. Ruthie doesn't present her younger self as some perfectly polished version of herself. There are funny moments, embarrassing moments, difficult moments and plenty of stories that made me laugh. That honesty gives the memoir so much personality. It feels like you're actually getting to know Ruthie rather than reading a carefully sanitised account of a famous person's life.

And then there is the romance itself. I found the relationship with Edward genuinely fascinating, particularly because Ruthie's career and her relationship were developing alongside one another. There is something really interesting about watching someone who has spent years dreaming of being a performer suddenly find herself living a life that could have taken her in a completely different direction. Ultimately, though, the theatre remained such an important part of who Ruthie was.

I came away from this with an even greater appreciation for Ruthie Henshall, not just as a performer but as a person. It's funny, candid, glamorous, occasionally heartbreaking and packed with theatre history. For anyone interested in musical theatre, celebrity memoirs or the fascinating collision between the West End and the Royal Family, there is so much to enjoy here.

Five stars. I could happily have read another few hundred pages. And considering where Ruthie's career has taken her since this period, I am now very much hoping this isn't the last memoir we get from her!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Instagram - @comewalkinmybooks

📚 book review 📚

The Showgirl and the Prince by Ruthie Henshall

Goodreads rating - 3.83/5 ⭐️

My personal rating - 3.75/5 ⭐️

This is my first book by Ruthie Henshall

Thank you to BookBreakUK for sending me this copy !

In this book we follow the real life story of Ruthie Henshall and her career on the West End stage. We also learn about her relationship with Prince Edward.

Throughout this book we read the story of Ruthie Henshall and follow her through a tough childhood in a loud and abusive household all the way through to her days on the West End and Broadway 🎭

We learn of how she became interested in the arts and why she chose theatre in particular !
We learn of her meeting the Prince and his family ! What it was like staying at Buckingham Palace.
What it was like socialising with the royal family !
The challenges of being a young female star trying to make her own way in the 80s on stage to being in shows such as Les Mis and Cats 🐈

Ruthie Henshall has lived a full life and in this book she bares all to those who will listen !

My downfalls for this book would be the cringey stories of her and Prince Edwards rendezvous. It just wasn’t necessary to write stories like that of a royal never mind a happily married man !

Would I recommend this book - I would
This is a must read for the theatre lovers as it gives you a bts look at how the process works and what it takes to get to the top of your craft !

Would i read this author again - yes
I really want a follow up on her life from the mid 90s onwards !

This is my personal opinion !

[Cath · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️

I was really excited to read this because, back in the late 90s when I desperately wanted to be in theatre and was auditioning for stage school, Ruthie Henshall was an absolute god to me. I thought she was incredible, so the idea of getting some backstage insight into her career and the shows she’d been part of was right up my street.

Unfortunately, this book has completely turned me off her.

What struck me most was the complete lack of self-reflection or accountability. There’s very little sense that she takes responsibility for the people she’s upset or the situations she’s contributed to. Instead, she often comes across as entitled, selfish and, frankly, not particularly nice. I’m all for confidence and knowing your worth, but there’s a fine line between that and just coming across as a bit of a diva.

I also found the whole story surrounding the Prince difficult to buy. There are inconsistencies throughout, and I was left wondering how genuine some of it actually was. I also couldn’t help feeling that someone, somewhere in the royal machine had given this a very thorough once-over before publication, because there’s surprisingly little that feels genuinely juicy or revealing.

The biggest disappointment, though, is that I went into this wanting to understand and admire the woman behind the theatre legend, and I came out feeling completely the opposite. There’s just no introspection. No real accountability. And, ultimately, not much here that made me want to know more.

Perhaps that says more about my expectations going in than the book itself, but it’s completely finished me off. I’m done with Ruthie Henshall.

[Alex Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of Ruthie Henshall’s musical theater work, this is a delight. I recommend listening to the audiobook to hear her tell the story herself. Hers is a singular voice, and it’s a pleasure to hear her tell of her early life and career.

Not being a Brit, I had no idea about her romantic relationship with Prince Edward. It was fun to hear her tell of her career advancement alongside youthful, full-throttle love with a royal. The sequence of the weekend with the royal family is delish.

I also appreciated the way she shared youthful temper tantrums and how theatrical mentors and friends guided her toward becoming a more gracious citizen of the theater. Ruthie takes ownership of her complexity - including her relationship with alcohol.

Another highlight is her description of the day she played Miss Saigon’s Ellen and Les Miz’s Fantine in the same day!

Hope there will be another book that covers the Chicago days!

[Kelly Hollingworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this memoir depicting a feisty, determined young woman who rose to shine bright in the competitive and not always friendly world of musical theatre. I enjoyed learning about the Royal family and particularly Prince Edward, a Royal rarely written about. He came across as charming, considerate and calm. I loved their letters, the behind the backstage insights and the honesty of the hard work performing is - getting a role, playing a role, maintaining a role. The book, and the author’s story, is a testament to her resilience, ambition and ability to absorb the constant pressure. I liked her imperfections, we all have them! The book largely focuses on the 1980’s and 1990’s and the pursuit of a dream. I met the author at an event she was performing at about 15 years ago. I found her warm, professional and radiating star quality. This book confirms those attributes and more.

[Dickie Arbiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Right Choice

I've lost count the number of
media calls I flicked into the long grass. Ruthie, you sure kept us on our toes. The
Showgirl and the Prince was a late 80s early 90s trip down memory lane - I enjoyed every minute of your story - the love story, the anger, the talent, the belief in yourself, the determination, the piss artist, the disappointments and the
potty mouth - ingredients that helped to establish a star Ruthie became and still is today. You stopped at 1994, why? There's a trilogy here. Don't keep us waiting x

[Maurice Wijnen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very candid and entertaining West End memoir with a real royal romance in the lead, by my favorite musical theatre performer of the Nineties. Very honest and just the right amount of gossipy. Musical Theatre and Royalty fans will love this. (and it does wonders for the image of Prince Edward!)

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story, well told: loved the ‘show business’ vibe and chatter and the Royal Shenanigans comes out in everyone’s favour. She suffered badly but is never cruel in return. Loved it. Beautifully read.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Emma Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Royal enthusiast and a West End geek, these were my favourite topics into one read. Surprising,daring and very interesting.
I expected nothing less from Ruthie!

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author doesn't come across well at all. Some stories made me cringe. Very personal details given about Prince Edward which I felt were unnecessary.

[Shara Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! I listened to this as an audio book read by the author. Ruthie Henshall's storytelling kept me engaged throughout the book. I hope that she writes another one! I highly recommend this one!

[Tim Stuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Ms. Henshall from my earliest theatre nerd days, it was absolutely lovely to hear her tell her story. (I listened to the audiobook.) It was a delightful, if serviceable, memoir.