Prince Edward Once Said He Wanted 'Two Wives' — But the Reason Is Surprisingly Sweet
Beneath Prince Edward’s playful comment about multiple wives lay a candid admission about the pressures of the monarchy.
Prince Edward has one of the healthiest marriages in the royal family with his wife, Duchess Sophie Rhys-Jones. After marrying in 1999, the Prince found lasting love and happiness, building a notoriously strong and private partnership over their 27 years together. They also have two very grounded children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex. The couple has worked hard to teach them to be independent individuals, encouraging both to pursue their own passions and careers outside of the Royal family.
According to People, a comment that the Prince made almost a decade ago has recently resurfaced. Several years before marrying Sophie, Edward was in a committed relationship with the celebrated actress, Ruthie Henshall. In her memoir, The Showgirl and the Prince, Henshall recently took a look back at their romance, recalling something Edward had said that has recently caught royal fans’ attention. According to Henshall, the prince once told her, “In a perfect world, he would have two wives: one for the job and one for the woman you loved.”
Rather than expressing a desire for multiple romances, the late Queen Elizabeth’s youngest son was actually reflecting on the immense sacrifices and pressures that come with being a working royal. His comment underscored the reality of marrying into the monarchy, highlighting his desire to protect Henshall from having to abandon her booming career as one of Britain’s rising musical theatre stars—a passion she truly loved. Though the couple dated for several years, both ultimately recognized the insurmountable challenges facing their relationship.
In fact, she was so deeply in love with Edward that she was sure that together, they could find a way to make things work. Unfortunately, as time proceeded, she realized that her career was her priority, and walking away from it would literally break her heart. At the time, she was deeply committed to performing eight shows a week, and Edward pointed out that managing such a busy schedule while also being with a senior royal would require extensive security measures. She has since described Edward as a “prince of a man,” and it is clear that there is no bad blood between them. Although Edward’s decades-old comment may sound shocking at first glance, it actually turned out to be one of the sweetest things that he has ever said in his life.
