Who is Rose Hanbury, the alleged mistress of Prince William?
As Kate Middleton made the headlines for her abdominal surgery and photo editing controversy, so did Rose Hanbury, the woman who was accused of being Prince William’s mistress.
Hanbury’s name resurfaced after comedian Stephen Colbert, on his The Late Show, joked about the royal couple in his monologue.
Bringing “some troubled news,” Colbert said, “the kingdom has been all fluttered by the seeming disappearance of Kate Middleton.”
Last January, the Kensington Palace announced that Kate would take a break from public duties following her surgery. She hasn’t appeared in a public event since December.
Several internet users came up with conspiracy theories on Kate’s whereabouts—and other reasons for her hiatus.
“Well now, internet sleuths are guessing that Kate's absence,” Colbert said, “may be related to her husband's and the future king of England William having an affair.”
Tabloids, including American publication In Touch, reported about William's alleged affair in 2019 and how the prince supposedly laughed off it off when Kate confronted him.
“'Haha,' always a good response when your wife accuses you of cheating,” Colbert said.
Who is Rose Hanbury?
Hanbury, 39, belongs to the royal couple’s inner circle.
She's a former model, according to royal news outlet Hello Magazine. She also worked as a researcher for Conservative Parliament Member Michael Gove.
Hanbury's grandmother, Lady Rose Lambert, was one of the bridesmaids during Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s wedding in 1947.
She's the wife of William’s close friend, David Rocksavage, a 63-year-old filmmaker and the seventh Marquess of Cholmondeley. ICYDK, a marquess ranks above an earl and below a duke.
Hanbury and Rocksavage got married in 2009 and have since welcomed three children: twins Oliver and Alexander and daughter Iris.
They live at Norfolk county's Palladian Houghton Hall, which is near Kate and William's country home Anmer Hall.
Colbert in his monologue also poked fun at their marriage and their names.
He noted how he mispronounced Hanbury's title “Marchioness of Cholmondeley," which is originally pronounced as “Chumley."
"Really? Rocksavage? That sounds less like a British noble and more like a musician from The Flintstones,” Colbert also said of Hanbury's husband, referring to the cartoon series set during the Stone Age.
In 2019, tabloids wrote about a supposed feud between Kate and Hanbury with the earlier allegedly asking her husband to "phase out" the Marchioness from being their close confidant. An article by the Daily Mail later shut down these rumors and revealed that the two parties have "considered legal action" but instead have ignored the speculations as there was no evidence about the so-called dispute.
Hanbury and Rocksavage are known to be friends with Kate and William even after the reported feud. They were also present during Elizabeth’s state funeral and King Charles III’s coronation, during which Oliver served as one of the pages of honor.
But at the height of the affair speculations, there were claims that there had been a “falling out” between Kate and Hanbury, though they have not been verified.
Hanbury, William, and Kate have yet to publicly address rumors about the alleged affair.
