Rose Hanbury's Luxury Furniture Controversy Has Everyone Saying The Same Thing

Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, has been a topic of royal intrigue since 2019, when reports of a rift between Hanbury and Catherine, Princess of Wales escalated into accusations of an affair between the Marchioness and William, Prince of Wales. Years later, Hanbury is still endeavoring to extinguish this idea by dismissing the claims as bogus. After being the subject of so much public examination, another aspect of Hanbury's life has recently been criticized: her home furnishings. 

Hanbury and her husband, David Rocksavage, Marquess of Cholmondeley, live at Houghton Hall, a palatial 106-room estate. Inside, it looks like a museum, replete with priceless paintings, sculptures, and even royal thrones.  Unfortunately, some items are valuable antiquities of dubious ownership. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), one user stated that Houghton Hall was reportedly "full of authentic Chinese furniture and artefacts that were stolen from China during the fall of the Qing dynasty."

A deeper investigation into Rocksavage's genealogy indicates that the pieces of Chinese origin may have come from one of his grandmothers, Sybil Sassoon. However, there isn't sufficient evidence to support the allegations of the antiques being stolen. Even so, the ethical question may be more focused on whether or not the Cholmondeleys should continue to maintain possession of the objects. As one TikToker explained, "These cultural relics not only represent the history and culture of our nation, but are also the wisdom and hard work of our ancestors."

Unfortunately for Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, she became implicated with these Chinese treasures due to her marriage. However, this extra layer of controversy is not helping Hanbury's reputation as she deals with the PR nightmare of a rumored affair with William, Prince of Wales. 

In addition, even if the Sassoon family bought the Chinese furnishings that now reside in Houghton Hall, part of their wealth came from selling significant amounts of opium. This sordid detail further impacts the family's standing, and social media users were also aware of this aspect of the Sassoons' history. On the other hand, some commenters had sympathy for Hanbury's furniture drama, and they believed that she was being blamed more than her husband because ubiquitous coverage of affair rumors has made her a household name.  

Hanbury and her husband, David Rocksavage, Marquess of Cholmondeley, aren't the only ones dealing with contentious antiquities. The royal family remains in possession of the renowned Kohinoor diamond, an artifact whose ownership has been disputed since 1947. While it's unlikely the precious 105-carat stone will be returned to India, to avoid controversy, Camilla, Queen Consort, opted to replace the Kohinoor with three Cullinan diamonds in her 2023 coronation crown.