Prince Edward’s ex-girlfriend has revealed details of her first meeting with the royal family ahead of the publication of her memoir.
Ruthie Henshall, 59, admitted breaking royal protocol seconds after meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II, calling it a waste.
In a conversation with a magazine, she claimed that despite her father’s careful advice on royal etiquette, nerves got the better of her when the moment came.
Talk to Yours Ahead of the book’s publication, the actress and singer praised the late monarch, saying: “The Queen in particular was lovely.”
Henshall added: “I remember my father telling me that if you ever met the Queen, you would curtsy and call her madam.”
But things turned out against all expectations. Instead of bowing or curtsying, she instinctively grabbed the monarch’s hand.
“When I met her, I forgot to curtsy and I grabbed her hand and said, ‘I’m really nice to meet you, really nice to meet you,'” she recalls.
“There I was, this chorus girl going out with her youngest son, it must have been her worst nightmare.”
Despite her concerns about how she might be perceived, Henshall said the late monarch had been courteous and welcoming throughout their meetings.
“I really 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, as well as glimpses of the late queen away from the public eye.
Their courtship represented one of the most important relationships in Edward’s life before his 1999 marriage to Sophie, now Duchess of Edinburgh.
The two began dating in 1988 after crossing paths while they were both working with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
