Never has an innocent photo for Mother’s Day given so much to talk about, but Kate Middleton and her alleged few skills in image editing have managed to cause the British royal house to be experiencing the first major crisis of the reign of Charles III without intending to.
A familiar image that has uncovered all kinds of conspiracy theories, but also the reappearance of ghosts from the past that the Princess of Wales would probably have preferred to stay where they were. Specifically, at Houghton Hall, where Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, lives with her family.
The name of Rose Hanbury, a former friend of the princess, is one of the most repeated in recent hours; And the Marchioness of Cholmondeley has once again regained prominence in the media in the midst of controversy, as many believe that Kate Middleton’s absence could be due to Prince William’s infidelities with his rumored lover, Hanbury.
The aristocrat and former model, 39, has always been part of the inner circle of friends of the princes of Wales and the entourage of the British royal family. Her grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding of the late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Philip of Edinburgh.
In 2009 and after six years of relationship, Hanbury married David Rocksavage, Marquess of Cholmondeley and 23 years her senior. As a result of their marriage, three children have been born: twins Oliver Timothy and Alexander Hugh (15) and little Iris Marina (8). The family lives in a spectacular estate in Norfolk with no less than 106 rooms, Houghton Hall. The mansion is also located not far from Anmer Hall, property of the Princes of Wales.
Her connections always placed her close to Prince William. In 2019, they began to fuel rumors about a possible extramarital relationship between the two, to the point that it would even lead to a big fight between Hanbury and the Princess of Wales. According to some media, this relationship was “an open secret.”
In 2023, British tabloid media such as Daily Mail, The Sun and The Mirror announced that Prince William and the Marchioness had celebrated Valentine’s Day with a romantic dinner. The crown prince would also have given a pearl necklace to his alleged lover as a gift on that special day. According to the Daily Mail, this infuriated the Princess of Wales, who at the same time had jokingly complained to a florist that her husband was not giving her a single sad flower.
The rumors continue, and the fact that in the allegedly manipulated images Kate Middleton appears without her spectacular engagement ring has only set off all the alarms.
There is no shortage of theories on social media about this new hypothesis, which seem to be beginning to worry Rose Hanbury herself, who would not be having any fun being involved in this issue, as noted by journalist Stephen Colbert on his program.
None of those involved have ever confirmed or denied this information about the alleged extramarital relationship. According to Omid Scobie, author of the controversial “bomb book” about the British royal family, Kensington Palace feared that the rumors would “negatively affect William’s reputation” and alleged that the Firm used Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to divert attention from the rumors.