Henshall has long spoken kindly about the Royal Family. “I have nothing but nice things to say about them all,” she once remarked. “The Queen, in particular, was lovely. Here I was, this chorus girl dating her son — it must have been her worst nightmare!”
Still, her openness has occasionally caused surprise. During a 2020 appearance on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, she reportedly did not realize that microphones had picked up her comment about intimate encounters at Buckingham Palace.
She has also shared memories of attending a Royal Family barbecue at Balmoral, where Diana, Princess of Wales, encouraged her to sing I Dreamed A Dream from Les Misérables in front of senior royals.
Reflecting on the moment in 2023, she said, “I wasn’t nervous because Charles had just made me a couple of Martinis, which is why I ended up singing in front of the Queen,” adding, “I was feeling no pain, because I was three sheets to the wind! It will always be one of my greatest honours. Diana was there, Princess Margaret, the Queen Mum, Edward, and Charles.”
Life after the romance
After their split, Henshall went on to marry, have two daughters, and build a successful stage career, appearing in productions such as Chicago, Billy Elliot, and Oliver!. She later served as a judge on Dancing on Ice and took a role in Coronation Street in 2024.
Despite their breakup, she is believed to have remained on friendly terms with Edward and Sophie, even attending their 1999 wedding.
However, a memoir built around royal love letters may still raise eyebrows within palace circles — particularly at a time when the Royal Household is facing heightened scrutiny following Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.
It is unclear whether Buckingham Palace has reviewed the manuscript in advance, though the palace has been contacted for comment. Online reactions have been mixed.
One person wrote, “Sounds like blackmail,” while another commented, “Skeletons in cupboards making a $$.” A third added, “Jumping on the bandwagon,” and another echoed, “Boy! The Royal accusers are going to have to get a bigger bandwagon.”
Others were less concerned. One netizen remarked, “I believe it includes tea at the Palace with the Queen ….. how can he survive the scandal …. [sic]?” Another concluded, “A bit more won’t hurt.”