Rose Hanbury’s reputation has been besmirched by rumors that, if true, would place her at the helm of one of the most scandalous and empire-defining affairs in modern history. In case you missed a few episodes, folks think that Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, is secretly in love with Prince William, the husband of her friend, Catherine, Princess of Wales, during a very, very vulnerable time for the royals and the British monarchy. And while it’s clear her strategy has been to enjoy life despite the public perception, her stacked social calendar backfired, as fans were livid after Hanbury reemerged during a royal engagement with Camilla Parker Bowles in May 2024.
Despite the spotlight, Hanbury made another big outing that month. But instead of spending more time humbly flexing her VIP status with the royals, she spent a little time with her husband, David Rocksavage, the Marquess of Cholmondeley, who, interestingly enough, hasn’t had much to say about the plethora of affair rumors that have plagued his wife and marriage for years. According to InTouch, the spouses were two of the attendees at the Order of the British Empire service of dedication. The couple’s participation in the London-based event, held on May 15, 2024, proved their enduring commitment to their marriage despite the gossip. Unfortunately, the timing of their outing sparked more commentary.
Social media questions Rose Hanbury’s happy home
To be clear, Rose Hanbury has already denied rumors about the supposed funny business between her and Prince William, but some social media users refuse to take her word as gospel. On X, formerly known as Twitter, a large pack of royal fans reacted strongly to Hanbury’s outing with her husband, David Rocksavage, the Marquess of Cholmondeley, by ignoring his attendance. “Rose Hanbury and her son with Charles and Camilla at service for the OBE, Rose and Camilla been hanging out these past days? Is it possible Camila is training her new heir? Warming up to the public. Hat definitely checks the ‘mistress copying wife box,” tweeted one fan alongside photos from the event.
However, another user chimed in to correct the narrative that Hanbury left Rocksavage at home to gallivant around with the royals. “Since people keep conveniently posting cropped photos of Rose Hanbury leaving St. Paul’s Cathedral today with more “mistress” and #Katespiracy narratives. Let me post the ENTIRE photo, the one where she’s leaving with her HUSBAND, the Marquess of Cholmondeley. #Princessofwales,” they tweeted, alongside a photo of the husband and wife descending stairs. However, not everyone was convinced they were solid, with one user pointing out Rocksavage’s lack of a wedding ring. “The one where her husband clearly doesn’t wear a wedding band,” they wrote.
Celebs have also entertained the royal gossip
If you ever needed more proof that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s split would result in a brutal royal breakup, look no further than the intense celebrity interest in the drama. One such person is Bravo’s Andy Cohen, who leaned into the mess during his “Daddy Diaries” podcast. “It all seems to come back to this Lady Rose who he’s had an affair — who he allegedly had an affair with,” Cohen argued about Kate Middleton’s temporary hiatus from royal duties in March 2024. “Don’t forget he broke it off with [Kate] after they dated for years and sowed his wild oats for a time and then went back to her.”
Unsurprisingly, fans didn’t appreciate having a big name like Cohen make William and Hanbury’s alleged affair a topic of discussion in the thick of Middleton’s health issues. One of his loudest detractors was Bravoleberty Leah McSweeney, who lambasted Cohen after Middleton opened up about her cancer diagnosis in the spring. “Andy Cohen gets a kick out of being cruel to women and Kate Middleton is no exception,” wrote McSweeney via her since-expired Instagram stories (via US Weekly). “I hope that after she was forced to publicly talk about her cancer diagnosis, he will muster up the decency to apologize to her. People with power need to lead by example.”
