Ruthie Henshall, who was in a relationship with the Duke of Edinburgh in the 1990s, has spoken about her own experience being invited to the royals’ Scotland residence
Prince Edward’s former girlfriend, West End actress Ruthie Henshall, has spoken about her own experience with the Royal Family ’s infamous ‘Balmoral test’.
Ruthie, 59, has penned an autobiography about her relationship with the prince, called The Showgirl and the Prince , which was released last week.
The memoir details the secretive beginnings of Edward and Ruthie’s relationship and visits to Buckingham Palace, to having tea at Windsor with the late Queen Elizabeth. In the book, the actress has lifted the lid on what really goes on when a member of the Firm invites a partner to Balmoral – known as the ‘Balmoral test’.
The Balmoral test is widely seen as a rite of passage for potential royal partners, with past guests have famously included the late Princess Diana in 1980, the Princess of Wales in 2009 before she tied the knot with Prince William, and Meghan Markle in 2018.
Speaking on HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast, Henshall revealed that while she had no idea what to expect, she was treated to the ultimate VIP experience on the Scottish estate, complete with her own personal maid.
But despite the royal grandeur of her visit to Balmoral, the actress confessed that the family’s off-duty behaviour was surprisingly down-to-earth, featuring outdoor cookouts entirely free of protection officers.
She added that King Charles – then Prince of Wales – himself was on hosting duty, serving up potent drinks to get the party started. She said: “They were all quite jolly. I think everyone was jolly by the time we’d had a few martinis. Charles was manning the bar. He made me a very strong martini. He probably did that on purpose.”
During the weekend on the royal Scottish estate, guests are expected to have an extensive knowledge of royal protocol, keep small talk flowing and master the art of a quick wardrobe change.
They have to be ready to swap muddy hiking gear for black-tie glam at a moment’s notice, all while blending in effortlessly with the family’s rugged lifestyle and quickly changing itinerary.
The Balmoral Test lives in folklore within royal circles, with Princess Diana’s wooing of the late Queen and Prince Philip even being immortalised in Netflix show The Crown.
Royal expert Omid Scobie previously described the Balmoral Test as more of a ‘royal initiation’, as he told Harper’s Bazaar before the death of Queen Elizabeth: “Out of those privileged enough to have been invited to Balmoral Castle during the summer, not everyone has passed.”
He continued: “Diana famously flew through it, thanks to her aristocratic background and upbringing, but the likes of Cherie Blair [the wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair ] and Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, have not.
“If you’ve scored an invite, prepare to brush up on your royal protocol, have a wealth of talking points at the ready, an outfit for EVERY occasion (from hunting to black tie) and, most importantly, be on your best behaviour at all times. Social etiquette is a must! If you don’t like the food, eat it anyway. If you don’t like trampling through the Highlands in the wind and rain, tough! Unlike a visit to Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, this is the queen’s private residence and a front row seat within her inner sanctum.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.mirror.co.uk ’
