Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s marriage has been far from perfect. Married for nearly 14 years and parents to three beautiful children, Kate and William have faced public scrutiny several times, owing to the Prince’s alleged infidelity. Rumors of trouble in their marriage first surfaced in 2019, a few months after the birth of their third child, Prince Louis.
Multiple media reports cited that Prince William was having an affair with Rose Hanbury. British columnist and TV presenter, Giles Coren, in a now-deleted post on X, wrote “Yes, it is an affair. I haven’t read the piece but I know about the affair. Everyone knows about the affair, darling.”
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Though he later claimed that he was joking, the gossip had already taken off. The gossip made international headlines when it was picked up by American tabloid In Touch. The claims of infidelity originated from a report by The Sun, which claimed that Kate Middleton had a falling out with her long-time best friend, Rose.
Who Is Rose Hanbury?
Rose Hanbury, 40, is a former British model. She is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, married to British peer and filmmaker David Cholmondeley since 2009. Currently living in Norfolk, England, they share close proximity with Kate and William’s Anmer Hall Country Estate, as per Cosmopolitan.
Since they have the same social circle, both couples have shared a strong friendship and were spotted together on several occasions.
Rose Hanbury’s maternal grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Lambart was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II in 1947. Fast forward to 21st century, Rose’s son, Lord Oliver was a page of honor at the coronation of King Charles III.
Was Prince William Actually Involved With Rose Hanbury?
Rumors of Prince Williams and Rose Hanbury’s alleged affair went on for years. They further fueled after Kate Middleton suddenly stopped making public appearances. Stephen Colbert said on his show, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert: “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.”
He even went on to name Rose Hanbury in his monologue. However, Kate’s absence from the public glare was later attributed to her cancer diagnosis.
The affair was never confirmed and there was not a single evidence that could prove William cheated on Kate. Calling it fake news, Daily Mail’s royal reporter Richard Kay wrote, “Both sides have considered legal action, but because none of the reports have been able to offer any evidence about what the so-called dispute is about, they have chosen to ignore it….These hurtful rumors of a fallout are simply false.”
While the royal couple never publicly addressed the rumor, Rose came forward and denied it. She told Business Insider through her lawyers that “the rumors are completely false.”
#RoseHanbury breaks her silence amid #PrinceWilliam affair rumors. “The rumors are completely false,” stated Hanbury through her lawyers: https://t.co/RY1nRGIUoU pic.twitter.com/4XjbJ2ZYr3
— L’OFFICIEL USA (@LOFFICIELUSA) March 18, 2024
She even sent a legal notice to Colbert for spreading the rumor on his show. “The rumor appears to have entered into the mainstream media recently as a result of another joke made about it on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. We have written on our client’s behalf to CBS and various other reputable media organizations to confirm that the allegation is false,” her lawyers told In Touch Weekly.
Where Is Rose Hanbury Now?
After being dragged into the royal drama, Rose has been keeping away from the limelight. Prior to the controversy, she lived a low-key life, away from the tabloids. After denying the reports of an affair, she is focusing on returning to her private life, away from all the gossip.
Also, it seems that Rose continues to share a good bond with the royal family. Even when the affair rumors were at peak, Rose was seen attending Prince Philip’s memorial service in 2022. Months later, on May 6, 2023, she was spotted at King Charles’ coronation.
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She currently lives with her husband, David, and has been focusing on her career as an interior designer. The couple owns The Houghton Collection, a furniture company that celebrates designs from the 18th and 19th centuries.
