Prince Edward Told Ex-Girlfriend He Wanted 'Two Wives,' Memoir Claims

In her new memoir, "The Showgirl and the Prince," actress Ruthie Henshall claims that Prince Edward once told her he wished he could have two wives. Henshall dated the youngest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II from 1988 to 1993.

"Ruth, I couldn't put you through the job," Henshall recalled Edward telling her. "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 and Edward met in 1988 while she was starring in "Cats" and he was working for composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Their romance blossomed, but Henshall soon encountered the realities of royal life.

Royal commentator Amanda Matta told Fox News Digital that such sentiments are "very standard for royal men throughout history" and contribute to the historical prevalence of royal mistresses, as official marriages were often strategic political arrangements.

"Edward and Sophie have been married for over 25 years though and seem genuinely well-matched," Matta added.

Another royal broadcaster, Ian Pelham Turner, suggested that Edward was drawn to Henshall's career in theatre. "I personally remember working with the National Youth Music Theatre of which Edward was president, so Ruthie would have been his ideal partner at the time," Turner said.

Henshall wrote that she initially believed love could overcome the 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."

However, as her career progressed, Henshall realized the fundamental differences between her world and Edward's. She ultimately concluded that she could not marry him and continue her passion for acting.

"We had wanted to be together," Henshall 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."

In 1999, Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones, who had previously worked in public relations. She later became a full-time working royal. The couple have two children, Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex. Sophie has been described by royal broadcaster Helena Chard as the royal family's "secret weapon," and Matta suggested that Edward found in Sophie the qualities he once thought he would need two women to provide.