Daily Mail

Prince Edward’s ex to Meghan: DON’T give up the day job

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As the last actress to be romantical­ly involved with a member of the Royal Family, stage star Ruthie henshall has issued a warning to Prince harry’s putative bride-to-be Meghan Markle over the hazards of giving up her career.

It was reported this week Markle will leave the U.s. legal drama suits when season seven ends, fuelling speculatio­n of an imminent royal engagement.

Ruthie, right — who dated Prince edward in the Nineties — says: ‘It should be about love not duty and I think it [harry and Meghan] could work and be rather wonderful. But the issue is whether she has to give up acting — and she’s a very successful actress by all accounts. I do think she will find it hard.’

‘It never would have been an option for me to do so — my career is my first love and is such an important part of who I am.

‘I would have been unhappy,’ adds Ruthie, 50, who will be singing alongside Katherine Jenkins and Alfie Boe in the Bravo Cruise of Performing Arts next May.

Ruthie first captured the interest of the Queen’s youngest son while strutting about in a leotard in Cats. she later claimed the Prince smuggled her into Buckingham Palace during a fiveyear relationsh­ip. edward went on to marry sophie Rhys- Jones but he and Ruthie remain friends. ‘he’s lovely,’ she says. ‘We still keep in touch.’ Ruthie, who became engaged to actor John Gordon sinclair after her romance with edward ended, married fellow performer tim howar, by whom she has two daughters Lily, 14, and Dolly, 12, but they divorced seven years ago. Meanwhile, Princess Michael of Kent told me at a lunch on tuesday she has still to speak to Ms Markle: ‘I haven’t met her yet.’ Does she think they’ll marry in the next year? ‘I’m not sure — it’s just another dress and hat to buy.’

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