After Five Years of Speculation, Rose Hanbury Finally Breaks Her Silence on Those Prince William Affair Rumors
Stephen Colbert brought the tired narrative into the fore again last week after his ‘Late Show’ opening monologue name-dropped Hanbury as a reason for why Kate may have stepped back from public life temporarily.
The unfounded rumors of Lady Rose Hanbury’s alleged “affair” with Prince William have circulated for over five years, and Hanbury has never spoken about them publicly in all of that time. It seems that Hanbury heretofore has adopted the royal family’s policy of “Never complain, never explain”—a motto that was blown wide open last week when the Princess of Wales apologized for editing a photo of herself and her three kids that her office released on Mother’s Day in the U.K.
With this new precedent set—and with telling the truth and defending oneself coming into the fore—it seems Hanbury is finally ready to speak out and stand up for herself, and (hopefully) put this cheating speculation to rest once and for all.
Through her lawyers, Hanbury told Business Insider that rumors she had an affair with the Prince of Wales “are completely false.” The public seemed to have moved on from the alleged affair between William and Hanbury, who herself has been married to David Rocksavage, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley (pronounced “Chumley”), since 2009, and as such is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. The couple share three children, and Hanbury is a friend of William and Kate’s; Hanbury and her family live at Houghton Hall, an estate in Norfolk in close proximity to Anmer Hall, the Wales family’s country home.
Then, last week, Stephen Colbert re-energized the affair rumors in the opening monologue of The Late Show, even name-dropping Hanbury and insinuating that Kate’s absence from the spotlight was because of her husband’s alleged affair. For non-royal followers who were suddenly interested in Kate because of, well, everything the past two months, Hanbury was a new name and a new salacious angle to glom onto.
“It’s deeply annoying and unhelpful for the Palace, but it’s not surprising that the affair rumors are being reheated,” a source said, per OK. “What else are people supposed to think when she [Kate] sends out a photo not wearing her wedding ring?” (In addition to the myriad of other issues with the now-infamous Mother’s Day photo, Kate’s iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring is not present on her hand.) The source added, “The relationship [between William and Kate] has always seemed incredibly strong, despite the immense pressure they are under, so it’s fair to say we were all completely baffled when the picture came out with the wedding ring missing, especially as it was Photoshopped. It just seemed guaranteed to get people asking questions about the state of the marriage.”
But even Omid Scobie—whose latest book Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, takes a critical look at the institution of the Crown—couldn’t find any evidence of a William and Rose Hanbury romance. “Unfortunately, if a rumor’s kind of left to do its own thing, it can run 20 laps around the world before you even think about what, how you want to kind of address it,” Scobie said. “They never addressed it, so those rumors will never go away even though there’s no truth to suggest that they are true.”
Scobie noted the Palace was worried the headlines would “impact negatively on William’s reputation” and added “For legal reasons, there are so many things that one can’t go into, but I thought it was really important, even if a rumor is a rumor. And I really don’t see proof that there is more to this than just tittle-tattle, you know.”
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
With her brief statement, maybe Hanbury is finally ready to address the issue and hopefully move on. As for the Princess of Wales, “Kate finds the rumors hurtful, obviously, and hates the thought that one day her children will be able to read about them online,” a source told Us Weekly as far back as 2019, when all of this began. “It forced her and William to sit back and examine their relationship, which they realized they should have been doing more often.”
Even after royal sources quashed the rumors back in the day, the tongues kept wagging. Finally, the Palace threatened legal action, and the British tabloids moved on from the story. In 2023, both Marquess Cholmondeley and his son, Lord Oliver, had roles in King Charles’ Coronation last May, David as the King’s lord-in-waiting and Oliver as a Page of Honor alongside Prince George, William and Kate’s eldest. Seems a funny action to take if the rumors had any validity to them.
Now maybe, at last, Hanbury’s statement will allow this narrative to end once and for all, and we can all blessedly move on—especially the Prince and Princess of Wales and Lady Hanbury. It’s old news. Let’s retire it.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Emma Stone Says She Wants to Be Known By Her Birth Name from Now On—Not Emma, Her Stage Name
“That would be so nice.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Anya Taylor-Joy's Chocolate Corset Gown Looks So Rich
And those Tiffany jewels?!
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
The Best Spring Shoes Hiding in the Sale Section
The perfect opportunity to step up your footwear game.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Prince William Told Princess Charlotte's Favorite Joke, And I'm Cackling
Help, I have the sense of humor of an 8-year-old.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Prince William and Princess Kate Are Prioritizing Their Children's "Happiness" Amid Kate's Diagnosis, Source Says
The little ones come first.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Princess Kate Makes History with New Appointment from Father-in-Law King Charles
The two have grown especially close in recent months as both undergo treatment for cancer.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Louis Turns 6—See the Adorable New Photo
Princess Kate was behind the lens.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis “Are Following Some New Rules” at Home to Help Make Life Easier for Princess Kate
As their mother receives treatment for cancer, the Wales trio is reportedly pitching in and taking on some extra chores around the house.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William Makes Moving Promise About Princess Kate at His First Public Appearance Since She Revealed She Has Cancer
He also revealed his youngest child Prince Louis’ favorite sport while at the engagement.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
As He Prepares to Return to Royal Duty Tomorrow After Nearly A Month Away, Prince William Is Struggling with “Immense” Pressure, Reports Say
“There’s a lot at stake, and he does need support.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William Single-Handedly Planned His and Kate Middleton’s Romantic Honeymoon
Kate had no idea where they were headed on their two week luxurious break from reality until after their 2011 wedding.
By Rachel Burchfield Published