A royal affair? Friends, or frenemies?
Rose Hanbury and Kate Middleton are thought to have been once close,
but did that friendship become a rivalry? And how does Kate feel now? Keep watching to learn more.
While a lot has been said about Meghan Markle and her tight circle of friends over the years,
little is known about Kate Middleton's gal pals — or at least the ones that are still present in
her life today. Even though Meghan and her husband Prince Harry can still find the time to knock back
a few beers and enjoy a steak dinner with the likes of Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack
Brooksbank, Kate and her husband Prince William seem to have a much quieter social life. That is,
if they can even find the time to sneak in a date night with all their royal engagements,
public appearances and, of course, their parental duties at home.
"Ooh la la!”
And while there might be plenty of people that the Duchess of Cambridge can group text about the
latest season of Bridgerton, there was once one person who used to hang with the Cambridges pretty
often: Rose Hanbury. In fact, a lot of people are quite curious about Kate's relationship with Rose.
There has been plenty of gossip surrounding Rose Hanbury over the years,
mostly because of all the reports and speculation of her possible affair with Prince William.
"Anyway, there was all sorts of gossip at the time that William had grown close to Rose Hanbury."
And while those rumors have been discredited, a lot of people still
can't help but wonder what might have happened between Kate Middleton and her supposed rival.
Apparently, both Kate and Rose were part of a social scene called the Turnip Toffs
in their rural county of Norfolk. A separate Daily Mail article also suggested Kate and
Rose were close enough back in 2014 that their children were potential playmates.
That said, there's a chance that the Duchess of Cambridge might have pulled
one of Mariah Carey's "I don't know her" cards when it was reported that Rose tried to put the
move on William when Kate was pregnant. At least, that's what Beverly Hills psychiatrist/M.D.
Carole Lieberman told Nicki Swift in 2020. The possible reason for this, she said, was that
couples tend to be intimate less often while a woman is pregnant out of fear of injuring the baby
in the womb — and because the husband sees his pregnant wife as a mother. Still, Lieberman said,
"William would have realized, before it went too far,
that Rose is a lesser quality version of Kate — not as pretty or elegant,
not as well-grounded or stellar in character, not as playful, and not as doting a mother or wife."
Therefore, the future king, as Lieberman said, "would not have traded Kate in for Rose,".
Well, regardless of whether William saw Kate as a mother or not,
her relationship with Rose took an interesting turn after all of the affair rumors.
"And then there was said to be a massive falling
out and Kate was no longer speaking to Rose Hanbury."
Despite the rumors,
Rose was still on Kate's birthday party guest list back in January 2020, according to Hello!
What's more, Rose did attend a royal banquet that Queen Elizabeth II hosted
during former President Donald Trump's visit to London in June 2019, according to The Cut.
And while there's no photographic evidence of the Duchess of Cambridge and Rose
chit-chatting about their children's homework assignments or comparing notes on their latest
skin care routines, Rose was also in attendance at Prince Philip's funeral in April 2021
and again at his memorial service in March, according to the Daily Mail.
However, as Carole Lieberman told Nicki Swift,
the rumors seemingly took their toll on Hanbury and her husband. Lieberman said,
"[i]n the photos taken before the alleged affair, Kate and Rose seem to be on very
close terms — and even look remarkably alike in their features and their dress. But,
in the more recent photos from the church service, Rose and her husband do look the worse for wear.
They both seem to have aged at least 10 years, [...] and Rose looks sad and angry."
Although Kate has apparently moved on from all the rumors about her marriage and her supposed
rural rival, the internet has not. Because nothing truly disappears from the internet,
the #princewilliamaffair hashtag popped up on social media back in December 2021,
after one journalist suggested that the royal family had enough leverage
to make such rumors go away. Well, almost.
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