You've no doubt heard of Prince William's alleged affair with Rose Hanbury. The royal
scandal has been plastered all over tabloids since early 2019, but are the rumors about
Kate Middleton's husband really true?
Spreading rumors
The news of Willaim's supposed affair with Rose Hanbury was first reported in April 2019,
but rumors of infidelity started circulating before then. According to reports, Prince
William's alleged affair unfolded when his wife, Kate Middleton, was pregnant with their
third child, Prince Louis, who was born on April 23, 2018. If true, this means that,
by the time the press picked up on the potential scandal, at least a year had passed since
the alleged affair took place. An anonymous source told In Touch that, when confronted
by his wife,
“[William] just laughed it off saying there was nothing to it.”
As for whether there really was trouble in paradise, In Touch's source told the magazine,
"They come across as a perfect couple who can do no wrong. [...] But the reality is,
most couples have their issues and William and Kate are no different."
William's "roving eye"
The relationship between Prince William and Kate Middleton goes back to the early 2000s.
The pair became friends their first year at the University of St. Andrews in 2001, and
by 2003 the pair had begun dating. In 2007, Kate and William hit a rough patch and briefly
split up. While they were on a break, it was insinuated that Prince William wasn't serious
about Middleton, and that he wasn't ready to settle down yet. An anonymous source told
the Daily Mail,
"He has always had a roving eye, far more so than Harry, who is meant to be the family
playboy. That's something Kate has always known and accepted it was part of the deal,
if you like. I suppose in that respect, she would have made a perfect Princess of Wales."
In spite of the rumors, the prince got back together with Kate just a couple of months
after the split.
I, William Arthur Philip Louis take thee, Catherine Elizabeth, to be my wedded wife."
Kate's friend?
Before the scandal erupted, Rose Hanbury and Kate Middleton seemed to be friendly. A 2016
article by Hello! magazine described Hanbury as the duchess' friend, and revealed that
Hanbury and her husband, David, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, lived just three miles away
from Kate and William's Norfolk residence, Anmer Hall.
Before the rumored affair, the two couples were said to be quite close, setting up playdates
for their children, and even attending weddings together. A source told The Sun,
"William and David's backgrounds are similar while Kate and Rose's lives were at similar
points."
Apparently Hanbury and the duchess bonded over their love of organic food, and frequently
talked about parenting. They also reportedly enjoyed many dinner parties together.
Stay away
Although Prince William reportedly denied having an affair with Rose Hanbury when confronted
about the rumors, Kate Middleton allegedly took action. The Duchess of Cambridge is said
to have told her husband to stop associating with the Hanburys altogether. A source reportedly
told In Touch,
"Kate sees their friendship in an entirely different light now."
The Sun also claimed that the rift between the two women went much deeper, with a source
alleging,
"It is well known that Kate and Rose have had a terrible falling out. They used to be
close but that is not the case anymore. [...] William wants to play peacemaker so the two couples
can remain friends, given they live so close to each other and share many mutual friends.
But Kate has been clear that she doesn't want to see them any more and wants William to
phase them out, despite their social status."
Listen to grandma
After In Touch broke the news of the rumored affair, other publications reported that the
royal marriage was struggling but that there was no chance of the couple divorcing. Some
might interpret the couple's decision to stay together as proof that nothing happened or
that Middleton had forgiven her husband. Others, however, might think that the pair stayed
together because of Queen Elizabeth II's desire to avoid any more scandals in the family.
In 2006, the Sunday Express reported that, according to a palace aide, the queen allegedly
told her grandson to choose his bride carefully because there had been too many royal divorcess.
If the conversation really happened, the queen was likely referring to the divorce of Prince
William's own parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Only one of Queen Elizabeth's
children, Prince Edward, has remained married to his first spouse.
Call the lawyers
Even though Prince William is said to have denied the rumors, his lawyers threatened
legal action against the media outlets spreading them. The Daily Beast reported that, after
the press broke the news of the alleged affair, at least one British publication was served
a warning by a law firm working on behalf of the royal family. According to the site,
the warning said,
"[I]n 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."
Former royal editor of The Sun, Duncan Larcombe, told The Daily Beast,
“The use of a legal letter by William as a future king is very much a move of last
resort. [...] If the stories of Kate freezing Rose out are true, then whatever caused the
falling out must have been very serious. While traditionally, the British royal family would
not take specific legal action [...] William and Harry are willing to do it in their own
way.”
On the rocks
The seemingly solid relationship between Prince William and Kate Middleton makes it hard to
believe that he would ever cheat. With a beautiful wife and three gorgeous kids, the prince looks
like he is living in an actual fairy tale.
However, Rose Hanbury's life might not be quite as charmed. While Kate and William are
close in age and have known each other since their youth, Hanbury's husband is much older.
The 23-year age difference even puts them in different generations, as Hanbury is a
millennial, while her husband is a boomer. It also means that their marriage is statistically
more likely to end in divorce. Of the marriage, a source told The Sun,
"[David Cholmondeley] let it slip when he had been drinking that Rose is aware of what
people are saying about her and William. And it seems Rose's marriage has less romance
these days. He's much older than her and they have different interests."
No wedding ring
In June 2019, new life was breathed into the affair rumors when Hanbury appeared with her
husband at a state banquet for Donald Trump at Buckingham Palace. But the couple's joint
appearance was called into question as Hanbury wasn't wearing her wedding ring. A source
allegedly told the Daily 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."
While it's possible that Hanbury has been having marital problems, she might also have
been getting her ring resized or cleaned.
The wedding guest
Before she became part of Kate Middleton's circle of friends, Rose Hanbury worked as
a model and was signed to Storm, the same agency that discovered Kate Moss. According
to Hello! magazine, Hanbury got married in 2009, when she was pregnant with her first
child. At the time of their marriage, David Cholmondeley was considered to be one of the
most eligible bachelors in England. And while Hanbury obtained the title of marchioness
through marriage, she already had aristocratic roots. Her grandmother was close friends with
Prince William's grandmother, the queen, and served as a bridesmaid at the monarch's 1947
wedding to Prince Philip, according to People.
While Hanbury wasn't part of the wedding party when Prince William got married in 2011, she
was apparently present at the royal event.
"I think we'll take it one step at a time. Sort of get over the marriage thing first,
and then maybe look at the kids."
Best buds
According to the Daily Mail, the friendship between the two couples goes even deeper than
playdates and dinner parties, and Rose Hanbury and Kate Middleton aren't the only ones who
were said to have enjoyed a close personal friendship. Prince William and David Cholmondeley
were also reportedly quite close before the rumored rift.
In fact, Cholmondeley's relationship with the royal family goes back even further than
his ties with the prince, though. The marquess is also a close friend of William's father,
Prince Charles. Plus, he has an important connection to the queen. At the age of 14,
Cholmondeley was awarded the title of "page of honor" by Queen Elizabeth II, and he also
serves as the Lord Great Chamberlain, which carries official royal responsibilities each
year.
Royal rivalry
It's quite likely that the gossip about an affair is nothing more than a vicious rumor
that has spiraled out of control. And this wouldn't be the first time the tabloids have
tried to pit Rose Hanbury and Kate Middleton against each other. In 2016, the Daily Mail
even implied that the friends were frenemies, suggesting that Hanbury's lavish lifestyle
might make her even more worthy of envy than the Duchess of Cambridge.
However, in March 2019, shortly before the press published rumors of the affair, one
source told the The Sun,
"These hurtful rumors of a fall-out are simply false. William and David 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."
Meanwhile, a source told the Daily Mail,
"Both couples laughed when it was first carelessly put around and endlessly repeated, even though
it was patently not true. As more and more people passed it on, it took on a life of
its own and has now become hurtful and toxic."
Kate doesn't believe it
According to one report, Kate Middleton doesn't actually believe the rumors of her husband's
infidelity. In fact, it's even been suggested that the Duchess of Cambridge has been distancing
herself from Rose Hanbury simply to put any rumors to rest, and not giving the press any
opportunities to photograph them together. An anonymous source told Hollywood Life,
“Kate and William generally ignore these sorts of nasty rumors [...] but this one has
really rocked them, that’s why lawyers are involved. The rumor is so ugly and so false,
they couldn’t just ignore it. And it doesn't just hurt them, they are very concerned for
Rose. [...] She's a married woman with children, and she's not used to this kind of public
scrutiny. She's a friend of not only Kate's but also the entire family, so this is upsetting
for everyone."
The source also made it clear that the Duchess of Cambridge has pretty thick skin when it
comes to rumors in the press, and told Hollywood Life,
“Luckily Kate’s extraordinarily strong, she’s so good at rising above these kinds
of things. [...] She trusts William and doesn't want to give the rumors any attention."
No comment
Aside from Prince William's lawyers warning the press to back off, the royal family has
remained quiet about the speculated affair as well as the alleged rift between Rose Hanbury
and Kate Middleton. Hanbury's family is also refusing to add fuel to the rumors and has
been avoiding the press. Just before the news broke of the alleged affair, the Scottish
Mail on Sunday asked Hanbury's parents about the rumored royal rift. Hanbury's father reportedly
told the publication,
"Nothing to say about it. [...] Got no comment. There is no comment."
Rose has kept quiet when it comes to the affair rumors. However, a representative for the
Cholmondeleys said in a statement to International Business Times,
“There is no foundation to any of the tabloid articles that have appeared. There is nothing
else to say whatsoever."
Considering the fact that Rose attended church with Kate and William in early 2020, it would
seem that the former friends have put their differences aside. But we'll probably never
know the truth about Prince William's alleged relationship with Rose Hanbury.
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