Rose Hanbury is denying any allegations of an affair with Prince William, according to a report.
Years-long affair rumours between the Marchioness of Cholmondeley (pronounced “Chumley”) and the future King of England were recently dredged up by amateur internet sleuths hellbent on details about the health of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.
One popular — and completely unproven — conspiracy theory that resurfaced last week is that Middleton and the Prince are headed for divorce and the British media is “soft-launching” his next relationship with Hanbury by bringing her name back into the conversation.
The rumour kicked into high gear last week. The Late Show host Stephen Colbert even dedicated part of his opening monologue to the rumours last Tuesday. (You can watch below.)
“The kingdom has been all a-flutter about the seeming disappearance of Kate Middleton,” Colbert said. “Well, now internet sleuths are guessing that Kate’s absence may be related to her husband, and the future King of England, William, having an affair.”
It appears now, however, that Hanbury is hitting back at the gossip.
In a story posted by Business Insider, her lawyers told the outlet “the rumours are completely false.”
This appears to be the first time Hanbury has publicly addressed the gossip. Business Insider also reported that the Kensington Palace, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ office, “declined to comment.”
Hanbury’s connection to the Royal Family
Hanbury and her husband David Rocksavage, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, have been part of the royals’ social circle for a number of years, and it’s thought that their bond began to blossom in part due to proximity — the couple’s sprawling manor, Houghton Hall, is located just down the road from Anmer Hall, the Wales’s 10-bedroom country home on the grounds of the royal estate, Sandringham.
Living just a short jaunt from the royal couple earned the Cholmondeleys an invite to a number of royal functions over the years. In 2017, Hanbury was spotted sitting next to Prince Harry at a Buckingham Palace state banquet and in 2022 she attended the memorial service for Prince Philip and the funeral for Queen Elizabeth.
But the Hanbury family has longstanding, ancestral ties to the British Royal Family. Her maternal grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, was one of Queen Elizabeth II’s bridesmaids at her 1947 wedding to Prince Philip.
And Rocksavage, too, has an important role within the royal household — he serves as a permanent Lord-in-Waiting to the family, attending key state and royal events.
In April 2023, it was announced that their son Oliver would serve as one of the pages at the coronation for King Charles, alongside heir to the throne, Prince George.
The origins of the affair rumours
In 2019, gossip of a rift between Hanbury, William and Middleton began circulating, with the tabloids claiming the royal couple had a falling out with the Marchioness.
Around the same time, rumblings of an alleged affair between the Prince and Hanbury began popping up after a British tabloid published a story claiming that William cheated on his wife while she was pregnant with Prince Louis.
Kensington Palace has denied those rumours, but with this month’s unbridled speculation into Middleton’s health, the hearsay has gained a new foothold.
Royal watchers, increasingly hellbent to find out more about Middleton’s health after her abdominal surgery earlier this year, latched onto a photograph of the Princess and her three children that was released by Kensington Palace over the weekend.
Middleton was not wearing her wedding rings in the photo, leaving people to wonder if there was a larger reason behind the missing rings.
Neither Prince William nor Middleton have ever directly addressed the affair rumours, which allowed the gossip to fester and take on a life of their own.
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