Back in 2019, Prince William was accused of cheating on his wife Kate Middleton with her close friend and the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, Rose Hanbury.
Since then, she has returned to the spotlight after attending the Queen’s funeral with the royal couple. Now her family also had a role to play in the coronation of King Charles III.
WATCH: Rose Hanbury attends the Queen’s funeral
The Marchioness of Cholmondeley was among the thousands of mourners in attendance at the Queen’s funeral in September 2022, arriving at Westminster Abbey with her husband David Cholmondeley.
Dressed in black and looking downcast, Rose didn’t stand out from the crowd, but her presence at the solemn ceremony with the royals certainly raised a few eyebrows.
A close personal friend and Norfolk neighbour to the Prince and Princess of Wales, Rose was also present at the Service Of Thanksgiving for the Duke Of Edinburgh in March 2022, quelling rumours of a rift over an alleged affair with William.
Now, she has been seen attending the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, May 6.
Her son, Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, was involved in the coronation as a Page of Honour. He was seen standing between Prince William and Prince George on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace previously announced that Rose’s son Oliver would be taking an official role on the day of the festivities. He will be one of the four Pages of Honour – alongside His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales.
“Throughout the Coronation Service on 6th May, Their Majesties will each be attended by four Pages of Honour. The Pages will form part of the procession through the Nave of Westminster Abbey,” the statement from Buckingham Palace read.
“The King’s Pages of Honour will be His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales, Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Master Nicholas Barclay and Master Ralph Tollemache. The Queen Consort’s Pages of Honour will be Her Majesty’s grandsons, Master Gus and Master Louis Lopes and Master Freddy Parker Bowles, and Her Majesty’s great-nephew, Master Arthur Elliot.”
So why exactly is Rose the woman at the centre of these unsubstantiated royal cheating claims?
Several years ago, rumours of a big fallout between Kate and her former best friend, Rose, started circulating, thanks to a report published by The Sun.
At the time an insider alleged to the publication “It is well known that Kate and Rose have had a terrible falling out. They used to be close but that is not the case any more,”.
Rumours started swirling that Kate was adamant on phasing Rose out of her social circle, while William was attempting to “play peacemaker” due to the two women sharing many mutual friends.
In April 2021, royal expert Andrew Morton assured New Idea that the “toxic story” was “false” and, although William and Kate “consider(ed) taking legal action”, they ultimately “decided to ignore the chatter”.
“William and Kate came out stronger than ever, the couple realising if any proof were needed, that this was the price of a life spent in the public eye.” Morton told us.
So who is the woman once alleged to be William’s mistress? Scroll on for everything we know about Rose Hanbury.
Marchioness Rose Hanbury was born on March 15th, 1984, making her 39 years old.
She is married to David Rocksavage, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, who is 23 years her senior.
The pair wed in 2009 at Chelsea Town Hall and, according to a report from Hello!, it was a whirlwind engagement, indeed.
“In June 2009 the couple announced their engagement, the next day it was revealed they were expecting and just a day later they tied the knot.” the publication revealed.
Rose and David share three children together, twin boys Alexander and Oliver, as well as a daughter named Iris, and live at the Houghton Hall estate in Norfolk, which happens to be right around the corner from Kate and Will’s country home, Anmer Hall.
The 39-year-old mother-of-three is constantly capturing stunning photos of the estate’s gardens and sculptures which she then shares to her personal Instagram account, as well as a special one she made just for Houghton Hall.
Rose’s ties to the royals run deep within her blood, starting with her grandmother – Lady Elizabeth Lambart – who was one of The Queen’s bridesmaids when she wed Prince Philip.
While the brunette once worked as a model, she and Kate apparently grew close through their charity work with East Anglia’s Children Hospice.
Despite the cheating rumours that sent shockwaves around the world back in 2019, both women remain married to their respective partners and seem happier than ever.
And with young Oliver Hanbury shoulder to shoulder with Prince George at the coronation, the rumours of infidelity and rifts look more and more far-fetched.
