Rose Hanbury's name has been in the press because of an alleged affair
with Prince William, but what about her actual husband? How did they meet,
and what effects are the rumors having on their marriage?
Well before he met Rose, David Cholmondeley was called "the greatest catch in England" — maybe
not by your average Londoner, but certainly by his fellow blue bloods, according to the Daily Mail.
"What a hunk."
On his 30th birthday, the marquess inherited a jaw-dropping fortune
that some have estimated to be as much as 112 million pounds. To put that sum in perspective,
that's more than his alleged romantic rival, Prince William,
who is estimated to have a net worth of $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Among David's inherited assets are 10,000 acres of land and a small collection of castles,
including the sprawling Norfolk estate, Houghton Hall, and Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire. It's
no wonder, then, that this "great catch" of the British aristocracy caught the eye of
more than one glamorous, well-connected woman. According to the Daily Mail,
David's high-profile girlfriends included French film star Isabelle Adjani and Irish
brewing and banking heiress Sabrina Guinness – whom King Charles III also dated in his youth.
At only 19, Rose Hanbury made waves among her royal circle when she began dating the
much-older David Cholmondeley. At the time, the marquess was 42 years
old — only eight years younger than Rose's father. As British nobles so often do,
the two partied the night away in Italy when they first met.
Legend has it, their host and the owner of Villa Cetinale in Tuscany
was none other than the disgraced Lord Lambton, a former Conservative member
of Parliament who had been run out of his seat years prior when photos surfaced of
him smoking marijuana in bed with two sex workers, according to the Daily Mail. So,
let's just say this Italian meet-cute probably wasn't exactly your grandmother's garden soirée.
Despite their large age gap, Rose captured playboy David's heart and soon convinced him
to give up his life of womanizing. After six years of dating, the former ladies'
man abandoned his bachelor lifestyle and asked Rose to marry him, Tatler reported.
Marriage and the baby carriage weren't too far off for the couple. Rose Hanbury
and David Cholmondeley announced their engagement in June 2009. To the shock of
the various members of high society, Rose's mother, Emma, announced that her daughter
was pregnant with twins the very next day, according to The Telegraph. Rose and David
quietly wed the following day at Chelsea Town Hall in London, with little fanfare.
While Rose and David exchanged vows at the altar, news of their whirlwind few days was
quickly making its way around the palatial estates and countryside homes of Britain.
People were shocked by the couple's hasty marriage and pregnancy announcement. In less than a week,
Rose Hanbury had gone from the much-younger girlfriend of Britain's "greatest catch" to the
pregnant wife of the Marquess of Cholmondeley, herself gaining the title of marchioness.
We don't know exactly how Rose's family feels about Rose and David's whirlwind marriage,
but it may have very well been regarded as a scandal. After all,
Rose's royal connections date back all the way to 1947, when, according to Hello! Magazine,
Rose's grandmother was a bridesmaid for Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding to Prince Philip.
Three months after their wedding, Rose Hanbury and David Cholmondeley welcomed twin boys,
Alexander Hugh George, Earl of Rocksavage, nicknamed Xan, and Oliver Timothy George,
Lord Cholmondeley. The twins arrived earlier than expected,
refueling the rumors surrounding when exactly Rose had become pregnant. Thankfully,
her sister came to her defense ahead of the birth, telling the Daily Mail,
"All twins arrive slightly prematurely, and that will be the case for Rose."
After the two boys were born, the new parents were faced with the decision of
choosing which of their sons would be named David's official heir and become the 8th
Marquess of Cholmondeley. Normally, the title would be given to the first son to be born,
but Xan and Oliver arrived almost simultaneously via C-section. With little else to go on, Rose
and David chose the next marquess based on who weighed more at birth, according to The Telegraph.
Oliver won out in the end. A family friend told the outlet,
"There was only eight ounces in it, but they will be a very significant eight ounces."
In March 2016, the couple welcomed a daughter, Lady Iris Marina Aline Cholmondeley.
Even with their previous scandals, nothing prepared Rose Hanbury and David Cholmondeley
for the international attention they would receive following rumors of Rose's alleged
affair with Prince William. Both parties fiercely denied the allegations, with editor-at-large
Richard Kay explaining in the Daily Mail that Rose and Catherine, Princess of Wales,
were even considering taking legal action against the tabloids. However, he continued,
"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."
"By the way, you have to be careful what you say now, because these guys are filming…"
"I know!"
While Catherine had her royal engagements to distract her,
Rose seemed to be suffering in the fallout of this PR nightmare. Friends report that she
has been feeling "lonely" and "increasingly isolated." One source told the Irish Mail,
"People are worried about her. The most loyal friends are sticking by her but others,
they haven't. [...] On top of that, she has a husband who is away more
than he is present. It has been a lonely time."
In 2019, the marchioness was spotted without her wedding ring while attending the 2019
state dinner at Buckingham Palace for then-President Donald Trump. In 2021,
David was also spotted without his wedding ring, according to New Idea. Of course,
there are many reasons why Rose and David may choose not to wear their rings,
but it doesn't prevent some from wondering if the stress of becoming tabloid fodder
has torn this millionaire couple apart. For the tightlipped duo, only time will tell.