Who Is Rose Hanbury? Meet Prince William’s Alleged Mistress Amid Kate Middleton Marriage

The royal family has had plenty of drama over the years, while many have speculated that Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton have been having relationship problems for years. William was even rumored to have cheated on Kate with a woman named Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Who is William’s alleged mistress and why do people think William cheated?

Who Is Rose Hanbury?

Rose – whose real name is Sarah Rose Cholmondeley (née Hanbury) – attended Stowe School before she became a student at The Open University in England. Despite having a prestigious educational background, it’s not currently known which degree she earned while in school.

While she has worked extensively with many charities over the years, Rose’s most recent known job was as an interior designer. In May 2022, the Houghton Hall Instagram page revealed that she and Martina Mondadori collaborated with interior design company Caban to create a collection that was “inspired by the extraordinary interiors of this fine Palladian house.”

Rose previously worked as a model and was featured in campaigns for brands including Miu Miu and Poplin London. Once she stepped away from modeling, Rose briefly pursued a career in politics and became a researcher for Michael Gove, a conservative member of parliament who served as the Shadow Education Secretary at the time.

Who Is Rose Hanbury Married To?

She married her husband, David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, in 2009. They are the proud parents to twins Earl of Rocksavage Alexander Hugh George and Lord Oliver Timothy George, whom they welcomed in October 2009, and Lady Iris Marina Aline, whom Rose gave birth to in March 2016.

Did Prince William Cheat on Kate Middleton With Rose Hambury?

Rumors began to circulate in 2019 that William and Rose had an affair during his relationship with Kate. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge allegedly had a falling out with Rose, who was once a close friend of Kate.

Despite the speculation, the rumored affair has never been verified and the royals chose to not respond to the rumors.

The rumors made the rounds again in 2022 when celeb gossip account Deux Moi posted a tip from an anonymous source claiming that an unnamed royal’s infidelity wasn’t a surprise. “This British royal’s extramarital affair is an open secret in London and amongst the English artisto set and is the talk of every party and news desk [sic],” the message read. “At a recent media party, I was told the real reason for the affair was the royal’s love of pegging, which the wife is far too old fashioned to engage in.”

The unnamed royal family member’s wife allegedly “doesn’t mind” the affair and “prefers her husband getting his sexual needs fulfilled elsewhere as long as things don’t become emotional, which was the cast with the last woman.”

The royal family continued to stay quiet and hasn’t responded to the second round of affair rumors. Rose, meanwhile, denied the affair via a statement from her lawyers. "The rumors are completely false," the legal team told Business Insider in March 2024.