Rose Hanbury's Family Ties To The Royals Don't Help Those William Affair Rumors

In the midst of Catherine, the Princess of Wales' disappearance, an old rumor of Prince William and Rose Hanbury's affair exploded, and it was further spurred on by the Marchioness of Cholmondeley's close relationship with the royal family. The affair allegations began in 2019 when outlets reported a supposed falling out between Hanbury and Kate Middleton, who were close friends. As reported by the Daily Mail, the two considered suing the publications that'd written about the rift but decided against it.

The same year, InTouch Weekly published a report about William, the Prince of Wales and Hanbury's alleged affair, according to the Daily Beast. At the time, Kate was pregnant with Prince Louis and when she reportedly approached her husband about the rumor, he brushed it off. Kate supposedly pressured William to ice out Hanbury and in an attempt to stop the rumors, the Palace put legal pressure on the publications, and the reports have since been deleted. Although the royals have adamantly denied there was no rift, the two friends have not been seen side-by-side since. However, Hanbury is still well within their inner circle and she had a special role during King Charles III's coronation.

Rose Hanbury must still be in good standing with the royal family — at least with King Charles, anyway. Not only was she invited to the coronation, but her son, Oliver, whom she shares with husband David Cholmondeley, was asked to be one of King Charles' pages. Hanbury's husband was also a part of the ceremony as the king's lord-in-waiting. Oliver was next to Prince William and Kate Middleton's oldest son George as they had the honor of carrying King Charles and Queen Camilla's robes. Of course, Kate was in attendance, but a source told the Daily Beast, "There has never been enmity between Kate and Rose. The rumors were a load of rubbish. The family are ancient allies of the Crown and will be there."

It seems Hanbury's ties to the royal family go way back, as her grandmother was once connected to Queen Elizabeth II. Lady Elizabeth Longman was friends with the late queen since they were children and was one of her bridesmaids when she got married to Prince Philip. While Hanbury wasn't Kate's bridesmaid, she did attend her wedding with Prince William in 2011. Since the affair rumors have taken over the internet, Hanbury has been likened to King Charles' wife, and is now being dubbed the brutal nickname "Camilla 2.0."