Did Kate Middleton Ever Really ‘Phase Out’ Rose Hanbury After the Rumors of Her Affair With Prince William?
Two years ago, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, found herself in the middle of a royal scandal thanks to Prince William. Rumors swirled that the Duke of Cambridge had an affair with Kate’s former best friend, Rose Hanbury.
There were also claims that Kate had Rose phased out of their social circle. But, did that really happen?
How did Kate Middleton meet Rose Hanbury?
It’s not clear exactly when Kate and William met Rose and her husband, David Rocksavage. But, we do know that Rose and David attended William and Kate’s wedding in 2011. It appears that Kate and Rose became good friends in 2014 when the Cambridges were living full-time at their country home Anmer Hall after the birth of Prince George.
Rose and David live just a few miles away. And just like William and Kate, they now have three small children. Rose – who is 23 years younger than her husband – is a former fashion model. David is a filmmaker and the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley. He inherited more than $200 million and the Houghton Hall estate in Norfolk in 1990.
Rumors swirled of a falling out in 2019
In the spring of 2019, rumors of a feud between Kate and Rose started to swirl. The media even dubbed Rose as Kate’s “Rural Rival.” But at first, the reason was unclear. Eventually, reports surfaced of a possible affair between William and Rose, which led to a ton of speculation in the tabloids and on social media.
Royal fans had mixed feelings about whether or not William would be unfaithful to Kate. Some believed the affair rumors, while others shot them down. There was never an official statement from the palace. But, William did make a move that was rather unique – he threatened legal action.
Prince William got his lawyers involved to stop the rumors he cheated on Kate Middleton
When the British tabloids went wild with the affair rumors, Prince William threatened legal action through the royal family’s law firm Harbottle and Lewis. They sent out a warning to the press that made it clear the rumors were false and the news stories needed to stop.
“In addition to being false and highly damaging, the publication of false speculation in respect of our clients’ private life also constitutes a breach of his privacy pursuant to Article 8 of the European Convention to Human Rights,” the letter read.
Did the Duchess of Cambridge ‘phase out’ Rose Hanbury
As William attempted to stop the press from publishing stories about his alleged affair, an insider insisted to The Sun that the rumors were true. The source went even further by claiming that Kate had Rose “phased out” of their elite social circle.
“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 anymore [sic],” the insider claimed. “William wants to play peacemaker so the two couple can remain friends, given they live so close to each other and share mutual friends. But Kate has been clear that she doesn’t want to see them any more [sic] and wants William to phase them out, despite their social status.”
Kate Middleton and Rose Hanbury have been spotted together since the scandal
Despite all of the claims of an affair and a falling out, the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay made it clear that the story was false. He also reported that both women “have considered legal action but, because none of the reports have been able to offer any evidence about what the so-called dispute is about, they have chosen to ignore it.”
This appears to be the case since Kate and Rose have been spotted together since the scandal. In early 2020, both ladies and their husbands attended church together at Sandringham. Prior to that, Rose was photographed at a royal banquet in honor of President Trump’s visit to the UK, and she was seated near William and Kate.
