Things are stirring in the Royal Family drama. Prince William’s alleged affair with Rose Hanbury is making the rounds again after Kate Middleton’s conspiracy theories surrounding her abdominal surgery recovery. The future king and Rose Hanbury made headlines back in 2019 due to several rumors about cheating.
Rose Cholmondeley (née Hanbury) is the wife of David Cholmondeley (pronounced Chumley), 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley. A Marquess (and his wife, a Marchioness) holds the fourth most senior rank in the British nobility (behind King/Queen, Prince/Princess, and Duke/Duchess). The Cholmondeleys are particularly notable, however, as they are hereditary co-holders of the office of Lord Great Chamberlain.
David was named King Charles’ Lord-in-Waiting meanwhile their son, Oliver, was named as one of the king’s pages, who was tasked with holding the robes of the king, alongside Prince George on Coronation Day. The couple also share another son, Alexander—Oliver’s twin—and daughter Iris. Not only is Rose connected to the royal family through her friendship with Kate, but her grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Lambert, was a bridesmaid at Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s wedding in November 1947.
Though Buckingham Palace swiftly put Prince William’s alleged affair and Rose Hanbury rumors to rest, netizens were quick to examine evidence from past drama to apply to the current situation with the Princess of Wales. Here’s a timeline of Prince William’s alleged affair with Rose Hanbury.
Prince William’s Alleged Rose Hanbury Affair Timeline
Read on for a timeline of Prince William’s alleged Rose Hanbury affair and why they resurfaced after Kate Middleton’s mysterious abdominal surgery disappearance.
March 11, 2024: The Independent publishes an article detailing who Rose Hanbury is
Years after the drama, The Independent published the article, “Lady Rose Hanbury: Who is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley?” which caused social media users to delve more into the Kate Middleton conspiracies.
Many eagle-eyed fans saw the edits on Kate Middleton’s Mother’s Day Instagram photo such as Prince Louis’ fingers and around Princess Charlotte’s dress. Kate Middleton issued an apology on social media for the mistakes. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C,” she wrote on X. The picture then caused people to ask where Kate Middleton is amid her absence and her surgery recovery.
“they’re not “soft launching” rose hanbury, they’re threatening the palace for sending them a fake picture,” one user posted on X.
May 3, 2023: Rose Hanbury appears at King Charles' coronation
As a member of the royal’s inner circle, Hanbury was in attendance at King Charles’ Coronation on May 6, 2023. After the false rumor of an affair began circulating again close to the coronation date, some wondered whether Hanbury would attend the occasion. A friend of the family told The Daily Beast in an article published on April 12, 2023, that “there has never been any enmity between Kate and Rose. The rumors were all a load of rubbish. The family are ancient allies of the Crown and they will be there.”
Buckingham Palace announced that the Cholmondeley’s son, Oliver, would be taking up an official role in the day’s festivities. “Throughout the Coronation Service on 6th May, Their Majesties will each be attended by four Pages of Honour. The Pages will form part of the procession through the Nave of Westminster Abbey,” the statement read. “The King’s Pages of Honour will be His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales, Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Master Nicholas Barclay and Master Ralph Tollemache. The Queen Consort’s Pages of Honour will be Her Majesty’s grandsons, Master Gus and Master Louis Lopes and Master Freddy Parker Bowles, and Her Majesty’s great-nephew, Master Arthur Elliot.”
June 3, 2019: Prince William & Rose Hanbury reunite at a state banquet
Prince William and Rose Hanbury were spotted at the state banquet that Queen Elizabeth held for then US President Donald Trump. Though, Kate and William were never pictured with Rose, and the couples sat at different tables.
April 4, 2019: The Daily Beast reports that all affair allegations are false
The Daily Beast reported that In Touch’s reports are clearly not true. Courtiers told the site that the story “was totally wrong and false.”
The site reported that at least one British publication was served with legal warnings due to the rumors. The letter from law firm Harbotte and Lewis states that “in addition to being false and highly damaging, the publication of false speculation in respect of our clients’ private life also constitutes a breach of his privacy pursuant to Article 8 of the European Convention to Human Rights.”
April 4, 2019: In Touch alleges an affair between Rose Hanbury and William
In Touch published a now-deleted report of Prince William having an affair with Rose Hanbury while Kate Middleton was pregnant with their third child.
A source told the site that Kate “immediately confronted” William, who “just laughed it off saying there was nothing to it.”
The site also claimed that Kate ordered William to stop seeing the Cholmondeleys. “Kate sees their friendship in an entirely different light now,” In Touch’s source says, adding that her trust in William has wavered.
“They come across as a perfect couple who can do no wrong,” an insider told the site. “But the reality is, most couples have their issues and William and Kate are no different.”
In Touch also reported that the couple wouldn’t split but the situation “has rocked the palace and their marriage.”
March 30, 2019: Nicole Cliff tweets about the rumored affair
In a Twitter thread, writer Nicole Cliff theorized that the alleged affair and how it caused a “rift” between William and Harry.
““Wills would absolutely have told Harry about the affair, bc of how those two are, and I think that Harry was like, ‘This is exactly what ruined our childhoods, this is pulling some Dad shit, you have three small children, what the fuck?’” she wrote in a deleted tweet.
March 26, 2019: Giles Coran tweets about the alleged affair
Write Giles Coran wrote tweets about his knowledge about the affair, ““I know about the affair. Everybody knows about the affair, darling.”
The tweet is now deleted. The Daily Beast said that they understand “that pressure was applied by the palace” to get it down quickly.
March 24, 2019: Kate Middleton & Rose Hanbury considered legal action for rumors
Daily Mail reported that the falling out was indeed false and both parties “considered legal action.” Though they chose not to go forward with it since “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.”
A family source also told the outlet that “these hurtful rumors of a fallout are simply false.”
They continued, “William and David [Rose’s husband] were in touch with each other over the weekend, not knowing whether to laugh or complain. Both wives are hurt by the suggestion that there is any argument or even a coolness between them. They have plans for future events involving their charity.”
March 22, 2019: Kate Middleton Reportedly Has A Falling Out With Rose Hanbury
In a now-deleted article, The Sun reported that Kate Middleton had asked Prince William to have Hanbury “phased” out from their inner circle of friends. Prince William’s role in all of it was simply a husband trying to get his wife to get along with a neighbor. (Rose and her husband, David, live in a neighboring estate to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s country manor, Amner Hall)
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