The name, Rose Hanbury is making headlines once again. But why?
It is both a privilege and a punishment that members of the British royal family have a policy of never explaining themselves.
And there has never been the slightest confirmation following the 2019 allegations that Prince William was intimate with his close friend Rose during his marriage to Kate Middleton. But that has not stopped fans from jumping to conclusions.
Following the release of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Netflix documentary, royal watchers are indeed jumping again.
Why is Rose Hanbury making headlines?
In the trailer for the Meghan & Harry Netflix documentary, Prince Harry claimed lies were told to “protect [his] brother.”
“They [the media and the royal family] were happy to lie to protect my brother,” he said. “They were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.”
Whilst making the comments, the footage featured clips of Buckingham Palace before changing to the Princely brothers walking behind their grandfather Prince Philip’s coffin in 2021.
Fans are speculating the Duke of Sussex is referring to lies made to protect Prince William from the rumours involving Rose.
Meghan then added: “I wasn’t being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves.”
A fan speculated on Twitter that Meghan – who was pregnant at the time – was “fed” to the wolves to “deflect attention” away from the now Prince of Wales.
Royal watchers are speculating that the documentary’s Volume II will touch on the affair rumours.
Who is Rose Hanbury?
Also known as Marchioness of Cholmondeley, Rose, born March 15, 1984, is married to David George Philip Cholmondeley – who is 18 years her senior.
According to Hello! their engagement was a whirlwind.
“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.
But her royal title isn’t her only one as royal fans have dubbed her a “beguiling socialite” and Kate Middleton’s “rural rival” due to Rose residing near the Wales’ country home, Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
According to The Sun in 2019, Kate and Rose “had a terrible falling out. They used to be close but that is not the case any more.”
As a result of their proximity, the families have attended several engagements together. Including, Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022 which only sparked more rumours despite Rose not being pictured with any member of the royal family.
However, Rose’s appearance at the Queen’s funeral shows she is at least on amicable terms with the royal family.
Is there any truth behind the rumours?
Despite there being no evidence to support the claims, the rumours continue to resurface. Now, Royal watchers are eager to see if Meghan and Prince Harry will touch on the allegations.
In 2022, royal expert Andrew Morton told New Idea that the rumours were “false” and “toxic”. According to Andrew, the Prince and Princess of Wales considered legal action, but ultimately “decided to ignore the chatter.”
But as expected, the British royal family have never made any public comments regarding the rumours.