Sarah Rose Hanbury Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Rose Hanbury would very much like to be excluded from any Princess Kate Middleton narrative, it seems.
Hanbury (whose full name is Sarah Rose Hanbury), 40, reportedly denied rumors that Middleton’s public absence is due to an affair with Prince William after Stephen Colbert brought the idea to the masses.
“The rumors are completely false,” Hanbury’s lawyers allegedly told Business Insider on Saturday, March 16, days after the Marchioness of Cholmondeley was name-dropped on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (Us Weekly has reached out to Hanbury for comment.)
“I’m afraid I’ve got some troubling news about England’s royal family,” Colbert, 59, said on the March 12 episode of his late night show. “Internet sleuths are guessing that Kate’s absence may be related to her husband, and the future King of England, William, having an affair.”
Karwai Tang/WireImage One question has been on everyone’s mind for the last several months: where is Princess Kate Middleton? Kensington Palace announced in January 2024 that Kate would be out of the public eye until after Easter following a planned abdominal surgery. “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes […]
Colbert noted that he was “ready to spill the tea” about the alleged infidelity.
Prince William and Kate Middleton Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
“I think we all know who the alleged other woman is, say it with me, The Marchioness of Cholmondeley,” Colbert continued, referring to Hanbury. “Now there have been rumors of an affair between William and [Hanbury] since 2019. According to tabloids, back then, when Kate supposedly confronted him about it, he ‘laughed it off, saying there was nothing to it.’ Aha, always a good response when your wife accuses you of cheating.”
Kensington Palace has yet to comment on the affair rumors.
Hanbury has been closely connected to the royal family for years, attending William, 41, and Kate’s wedding in 2011 and Prince Philip’s memorial service in 2021. She’s a former model who married David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley (the former Lord Great Chamberlain of the United Kingdom), in 2009.
Rumors that she and William were having an affair started swirling in 2019 when multiple outlets reported that Kate and Hanbury had a falling out over the alleged infidelity.
“Kate finds the rumors hurtful, obviously, and hates the thought that one day her children will be able to read about them online,” a source told Us Weekly in 2019, referring to her three kids with William — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
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“It forced her and William to sit back and examine their relationship, which they realized they should have been doing more often,” the same source added.
The affair rumors have resurfaced as of late as Kate recuperates from a planned abdominal surgery that she underwent in January. Her lack of public appearances have led internet sleuths to speculate that something more sinister is going on with the Princess of Wales.
When she posted a photo on March 10 to celebrate U.K. Mother’s Day, eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice Kate went sans wedding ring. Rumors of trouble in paradise started swirling — along with speculation that the photo was digitally manipulated, something Kate has since confirmed.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she shared via X on March 11. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.”