Inside The Incredibly Lavish Lives Of Rose Hanbury's Children

Rose Hanbury and her husband David Rocksavage are pretty high up in the aristocracy, so it stands to reason that their children enjoy some serious perks. That said, it's not all stately homes and priceless artifacts. Au contraire, it seems as though the Cholmondeley children (say that three times, fast!) have a fairly down-to-earth lifestyle, too.

ICYMI, Hanbury is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, through her marriage to the Marquess of Cholmondeley. That's pretty impressive in itself. While not a royal title, marquess is just one peerage below dukedom — the top spot. That means all three of the Cholmondeley children has a title. However, only the couple's eldest son, Alexander Hugh George Cholmondeley, stands to become the next marquess, so until then, he's an earl. As for his siblings, Alexander's younger twin is officially styled as Lord Oliver Timothy George Cholmondeley, and the youngest of the brood is Lady Iris Cholmondeley.

Titles are just part of what makes the Cholmondeley children's lives so lavish. From a sprawling home that's had Kate Moss gushing over it to the fact that they've been the subjects of award-nominated artwork, the three lead lives most could only dream of. Although, as Hanbury has noted in interviews, at the end of the day, they're still just kids.

In addition to their titles, the Cholmondeley children have a very luxurious home. So incredible, in fact, that Kate Moss once joked to Financial Times that she thought she'd died and gone to heaven on her first visit. The family resides at Houghton Hall, a sprawling estate more than 300 years old, which includes a farm and is home to an incredible, yet controversial art collection that led to some dark rumors about Rose Hanbury's home.

While the hall has been in David Rocksavage's family for generations, the Cholmondeley children had everything to do with their parents moving in. As Rose Hanbury explained in an interview with The English Home, "We decided to make Houghton our home when the children arrived." Naturally, that meant the Cholmondeleys had to work the living space around their kids. "Family life brings a new dimension and some things need to adapt," Hanbury said. Rocksavage explained in an interview with Financial Times that the home was a far cry from his younger years. There was a ton of formality for him, growing up, and kids visiting the estate even had a separate dining room.

It seems Hanbury was determined to stop that tradition in its tracks. Speaking to The English Home, she revealed that her first plan when moving in was to establish a family kitchen, complete with a couch and fireplace. "I wanted it to be very cozy and relaxed," she said. 

Rose Hanbury's sons may have mealtimes together, but when it comes to bedtime, they're not exactly bunkmates. These two have their own rooms — but that's not all. Those rounded domes on each corner of the stately home's roofs? Yeah, those would be their rooms. 

Speaking to The English Home, Hanbury shared that each room had its own theme. Without naming who got what, she revealed that one boy's ceiling was painted with a day sky, and the other with a night sky. Unfortunately, Michelangelo has no descendants to be commissioned for the job, so Hanbury's cousin did it instead. Granted, she didn't name her cousin, so there's a very good chance the ceilings are a real work of art, but we like to think they went the humble route. Either way, Hanbury told The English Home of the night-and-day boudoirs, "Both are really magical."

As for Lady Iris Cholmondeley's lodgings, Hanbury hasn't divulged much. At 8-years-old, there's a chance she hasn't moved out to her own cupola just yet. However, we have no doubts the former model turned aristocrat will pull out all the stops in creating some seriously spectacular sleeping quarters for her only daughter.

Don't be fooled by the fact that they have bedrooms in their own separate cupolas: the Cholmondeley twins are still just kids — and that means even a home full of precious artifacts isn't safe from boisterous playtime. Quite the contrary, in her sit-down with The English Home, Rose Hanbury joked that her sons had quite the penchant for roller skating and skateboarding inside the house. 

Speaking of the palatial home's entrance hall, she revealed, "The boys also love the main arcade ... and use it as a skateboarding and roller skating arena." On top of being a big space, she added that there was another perk for the kids. "It has columns to weave between and they get up quite a speed," she shared. Hats off to Hanbury for taking that so well!

Perhaps it's not all that surprising that Hanbury was fine with her children zipping across the historical hall, though. After all, even though her husband told Financial Times that he had very formal experiences growing up, she told the outlet that it had always felt very much like a family home, albeit a rather regal one. Speaking of the vibes she got when she and David Rocksavage first moved in, she told the outlet, "The house never felt spooky — you could sense that it has been well lived-in and loved."

It's fairly par for the course for aristocratic children to have their portraits taken, so it's no surprise that the Cholmondeley kids have, too. In fact, it's a pretty good reminder of the fact that while they may roller skate through the house, they are still British nobility. 

Rose Hanbury was the one to commission the portrait, and she selected sought-after portrait artist Phoebe Dickinson for the job. Speaking to Town & Country, Hanbury explained that she knew Dickinson would be able to capture not just their kids, but the spirit of their home. "I asked Phoebe to paint our children because I could see she was brilliant at interiors as well as portraits," she said. Evidently, Dickinson delivered. In 2018, the painting was selected as one of the possible winners of that year's BP Portrait Award, putting the artwork into the public eye.

While the painting didn't win, it certainly was a hit with the Cholmondeley family. Taking to Instagram in 2022, Dickinson shared a picture of the artwork hanging in the family's drawing room. Sweetly, the portrait has been hung across the room from a childhood portrait of David Rocksavage with his own mother. Yup — definitely aristocrats!

When it comes to the Marchioness's inner circle, it's typically Rose Hanbury's relationship with Kate Middleton that gets the most press. Her children have seemingly spent significant time with the future king and queen, and it's likely that continued even amid the unproven affair rumors around Hanbury and Prince William. As evidence, the Princess of Wales was snapped hanging out at the Houghton Festival in August 2023 after being invited by the Cholmondeleys, according to the Evening Standard.

That said, even if Hanbury and the royals had stopped being close friends, all signs point to her children spending time with other famous faces, too. One of those would be Kate Moss, who's also Lady Iris Cholmondeley's godmother. Speaking of how she came to meet Lady Iris' parents, Moss told Financial Times, "I met David when I was 19, and we started hanging out in Paris. He's a great friend." Moss also hinted at Rocksavage being close with other fascinating figures. "We would go on holiday to Tuscany — he just knew all these interesting people and I'd be along for the ride."

No doubt Rocksavage's kids will be along for the ride, too. One thing's for sure: the Cholmondeley children live a decidedly lavish life.