Listen to a sample
The Showgirl and the Prince
- Author
- Ruthie Henshall
- Narrator
- Ruthie Henshall
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Publish Date
- 16 July 2026
- Run Time
- 8 hours 10 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Read by the author, Ruthie Henshall.
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.
Critics Review
-
A rollicking good time: this is royal memoir by way of Jilly Cooper
The Telegraph
-
Sensational
Daily Mail
-
Edward is the only one of the late Queen's children not to be divorced and Sophie has done us all proud, but I can't be the only one thinking Ruthie would have been an honest, grounded, flawed, funny, talented, relatable and riveting addition to the House of Windsor
Vanessa Feltz, The Daily Express
-
A sweet book about two young people who were mad for each other but knew they could never be together
Carole Malone, Daily Express
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Ruthie Henshall
- Narrator
- Ruthie Henshall
- Duration
- 8 hours 10 minutes
- Release Date
- 16 July 2026
- ISBN
- 9781035097722
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Genre
- Autobiography: arts and entertainment, Autobiography: general, Memoirs, Individual actors and performers
Synopsis
Read by the author, Ruthie Henshall.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.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.