It seems so long ago that rumours were circling around an unlikely affair that was going on between Prince William and Rose Hanbury. The speculation came and went incredibly fast before the whole thing just died down. So, what exactly happened?
We hate royal rumours that hold virtually no merit which is basically every tabloid story out there. However, in early 2019, a report from American gossip magazine In Touch Weekly alleged that Prince William had cheated on his wife Catherine with their friend Rose Hanbury. In their ‘article’ which was really a fictional piece to sell magazines, they claimed that the affair happened when the future Queen Consort was pregnant with Prince Louis.
There, of course, was no public evidence to suggest that an affair ever took place. This is coming from Cosmopolitian which broke down the story from whatever information they could find. Before we launch into what could’ve happened, we need to ask, who everyone is.
Rose Hanbury
The woman Prince William’s alleged affair happened with is Sarah Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley (pronounced Chumley or Chumlee). She lives with her husband and children near Catherine and William and their family in Norfolk, England.
Known by her middle name, Rose is believed to be Catherine’s ‘rural rival’. She and the Duchess are known to run in the same social circles given their statuses.
For those trying to work out the difference between a Duchess and a Marchioness, let us explain.
Rose is the wife of David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley a filmmaker and the Lord Great Chamberlain. This makes her a Marchioness which sits below a Duchess or a Duke in the peer system. She is the mother of three children, twin sons and a daughter. An easy example of a Marchioness is Lady Edith when she marries her husband in Downton Abbey.
Rose and David’s children are believed to be playmates of Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
She and Catherine were considered to be tight, however, reports indicated that the Duchess of Cambridge ordered her friend to be ‘phased out’. So, what exactly happened? Could there have been jealousy brewing between the two ladies?
Prince William
Prince William, the eldest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana knows what an affair can do to a marriage. One ruined his parents’ union as his father went behind his mother’s back and hooked up with his now wife, Camilla. Though, the Princess of Wales wasn’t innocent either as she too had affairs.
William and Kate have always had a pretty solid union, despite a quiet, yet brief break up during their courtship. They’ve always been a force of nature whenever they’re together. Together, they have three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and little Prince Louis.
The Duke of Cambridge and his brother Prince Harry experienced the impacts the affairs his parents had first hand and how much it hurt. Also, William would never subject Catherine to the same torment his mother went through when he discovered Charles’ affair with Camilla.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
Before the arrival of sister-in-law Meghan, Catherine was the last commoner to marry into the royal family. Since then, she has proven herself to be the perfect woman to sit beside her husband as his Queen/Princess Consort when the time comes.
When these alleged cheating rumours came out about Prince William, we were surprised as he does not seem like the type of guy who would have an affair. He would not want to repeat the mistakes his parents made and he would want to be a good influence on his children.
Could an affair be enough to break Catherine and William up? It might be, but if reports are anything to go on, the Duchess confronted her husband about the alleged fling and he simply laughed it off. This what the previously mentioned In Touch article claimed. Though, it should be noted that their stories are nothing but garbage and they’re likely to get something right like every six months, if at all.
How can you report something and not have evidence to back it up? We’ve already written about celebrities calling out Australian gossip rags. William has been nothing by loyal to Catherine and he worships the ground she walks on. They’ve proven that they are just like every other married couple. That they’ve got flaws and will always find ways to improve themselves.
The Affair Rumours Disappeared Really Quickly
We need to point out that the rumours disappeared almost as quickly as they showed up. The story lasted like a week before it stopped trending. The Daily Mail’s royal reporter Richard Kay told the The Cut that the rumours were simply fake news. However, the newspaper, which has international editions is known to be on the side of the tabloids. It’s no wonder Harry and Meghan ditched them.
Also, Kensington Palace never said anything. In saying this, they wouldn’t have at given the royal family’s firm stance of not fuelling rumours that spring up. If there’s little evidence, then it’s probably not true. After the speculation arose, the Marchioness and Duchess were at the same event hosted by the royal family for Donald Trump. It is believed the two women did not sit together, but they were in the same room.
This was seen as a good sign which indicates there was no hostility between the two.
Our Conclusion
We have every reason to believe that there was no affair between William and Rose. Whether we can call Richard Kay a reliable source is debatable. However, we want to conclude this article by saying that friends fall out. Perhaps the Marchioness and Catherine had an argument over something involving their children. We don’t know and we’ll probably never know.
