West End star Ruthie Henshall has been left devastated after her sister died of a drugs overdose.

Noel Henshall took an overdose of painkillers and collapsed at her home in the US.

Her sister and the rest of her family immediately flew to America and just managed to arrive at her hospital bedside before she slipped into a coma and died of liver failure.

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Tragedy: Ruthie Henshall , right, with sister Noel, left. who died after an overdose of painkillers she was taking for a back injury

As she battled to come to terms with her grief, Miss Henshall, 40, vowed to press ahead with a music festival this weekend and dedicate her performance to her sister.

She said: "It is going to be very hard because we are all endlessly in tears but I am going to sing my heart out for Noel."

The Olivier award-winner, who was once Prince Edward's girlfriend, had already been booked to appear at the Faenol festival in Bangor, Wales, when Noel, 49, collapsed at her home in San Francisco.

Miss Henshall flew to the US and was joined by her parents David and Gloria and sister Abigail. Noel's twin sister Susan did not manage to reach the Sierra Nevada Hospital in time.

Mr Henshall told how Noel had suffered from back problems for a year and was in a considerable amount of pain.

She had been prescribed painkillers for her condition but had overdosed on them, triggering liver failure last Sunday.

Speaking at his home in Stutton, Suffolk, the former regional newspaper editor said: "We are not yet sure whether it was an accident or not.

"Noel was a lovely, beautiful girl who was tremendously charismatic and had such potential which was sadly never fully realised. She has left behind so many heartbroken and shattered people.

"We had a phone call to say she had been taken to hospital and the family flew over with great difficulty, as it is the holiday season and it was difficult to get flights.

"I spoke to Noel very briefly on the telephone and managed to have a few words with her but by the time we arrived, she was drifting into a coma and never came out of it."

British-born Noel, who worked in advertising after moving to the US 11 years ago, was cremated at a memorial service attended by 150 friends and family earlier this week.

The Henshalls flew her ashes home and are now planning a funeral.

It is not yet known whether Ruthie will be singing at the service. She has appeared in a number of musicals from Chicago to Les Miserables and She Loves Me, which earned her an Olivier.

The Colchester-based singer, who has admitted to a battle with drink and drugs after being sexually abused as a child, is married to actor Tim Howar and has two daughters.

Last year she told how she contemplated suicide before embarking on a course of therapy and meeting her husband. Before settling down with Howar she dated Prince Edward for six years in the early 1990s while both were working in the musical Cats.