What We Know About Rose Hanbury's Sister Marina
Following the rumors of infidelity involving Rose Hanbury and William, the Prince of Wales, Hanbury garnered global attention from the mainstream media practically overnight. Suddenly, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley became a household name, with the public eager to learn all there was to know about her. However, Rose, a former model and political staffer, is no stranger to drama, as her high-society family has had their fair share of controversy, and that includes her older sister, Marina Hanbury.
Interestingly, Marina and Rose had a strikingly similar life path. A bit more than two years older than Rose, Marina was reportedly also a model at some point in her life, but there's scant evidence of her modeling career. There is no online record of any of her modeling gigs, and it remains uncertain if she was ever formally signed to an agency. According to Express, she also worked as an assistant to Kate Hoey, a British Parliament member, until 2010.
Before marrying into aristocracy, much like her younger sister, Marina was often spotted at prestigious parties, rubbing shoulders with British celebrities. In 2005, Rose and Marina, both in bikinis, posed with Tony Blair, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time. The unassuming trio was captured in a cozy moment at the Italian Villa Cetinale in Tuscany, a property Marina would later be connected to through marriage.
Marina also married an older British aristocrat
Despite her relatively low profile, Marina Hanbury has had ties with British high society since she was young. She reportedly dated Robin Hurlstone at some point in her twenties, a British actor more than two decades years her senior, according to a Daily Mail report. Marina's preference for older men became apparent when she got involved with Ned Lambton, the Earl of Durham, in 2009. Things moved quickly between them, culminating in an engagement in March 2010. At the time, Marina was 28 years old, while Ned was 48.
The two are rumored to have met through Ned's son, Fred Lambton, who was supposedly previously engaged to Rose Hanbury and shared an apartment with Marina, an insider revealed to the Daily Mail. "That's how she met Ned. They got it on just before Christmas [2009]. It seems to have progressed at lightning speed, and the engagement is now the talk of the town."
However, there's another, less innocent version of how Ned and Marina first crossed paths. According to The Telegraph, they met at Villa Cetinale, which Ned owns, when Marina was vacationing there as a teenager. After dreaming about her some time later, Ned reportedly reached out to Marina on Facebook with the message, "I know I am way too old for you, but I love you." Despite their significant age gap (which isn't ideal, according to research), Ned's charm was evidently strong enough to captivate Marina as the two tied the knot in January 2011.
She's a mother of four
Less than a year after their low-key nuptials, Ned Lambton and Marina Hanbury welcomed their first child, Stella Rose Lambton. Hanbury, who now goes by Countess of Durham, gave birth to their second child, Claud Timothy Lambton, in 2015, followed by Acony Belle Lambton, their third child and second daughter, in 2018. Two years later, Lambton and Hanbury became parents for the fourth time, welcoming Arthur Lambton, their second son.
The pair have mostly kept a tight lid on their privacy throughout the years, so very little is known about Hanbury and her family life. However, the family's Villa Cetinale appears to be more famous than its owners, with extensive media coverage and a substantial following on Instagram. The 17th-century estate, boasting 13 bedrooms, has hosted numerous celebrities over the years, including Kate Moss, Mick Jagger, and an array of British aristocrats. Situated near Siena, Italy, the villa is currently available for private rentals.
Though it remains unclear who manages the property's Instagram account, Hanbury seems to occasionally take on the task herself. One photo, featuring Hanbury and Arthur, is captioned "Arthur & me," suggesting Hanbury posted it. In another post, depicting Hanbury with her two sons, she took the opportunity to promote Villa Cetinale's merchandise, available for purchase on the property's official website. Despite these occasional engagements, Hanbury's private life remains shrouded in mystery.