Why Rose Hanbury And David Rocksavage's Relationship Timeline Raised Questions

Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, has been in royal circles for years. From reports that she and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are bitter rivals to rumors of a royal affair with William, Prince of Wales, Hanbury has long been a topic of gossip. Yet, before her rumored sordid connection to the royals, it was her marriage to her own husband that caused controversy. Between their age gap (Rocksavage is a whopping 23 years Hanbury's senior) and their rushed nuptials, Hanbury's romance with her husband, David Rocksavage , Marquess of Cholmondeley, has raised quite a few questions. 

The controversy surrounding Hanbury and Rocksavage's relationship gives new meaning to the phrase "timing is everything." When the pair met, Hanbury was just 19 years old, and Rocksavage was 42. Yet, the time that this relationship took to progress raised even more eyebrows among the public than the couple's ages. The pair dated for six years before Rocksavage popped the question, but from there, this romance moved at warp speed. Just one day after announcing their plans to marry, the two eloped and welcomed twins just a few months later. 

Rose Hanbury and David Rocksavage had an extremely rushed engagement. In June 2009, Rocksavage and Hanbury announced their plans to marry. At the time, Hanbury was 25, and Rocksavage was 48. After announcing their engagement, the pair headed to Chelsea Town Hall and tied the knot the very next day. Of course, no two relationships or marriages are exactly alike, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate love. However, the couple seemed to rush things as soon as they'd made their commitment, and what followed caused the rush to raise even more eyebrows.

At the time of their wedding, Hanbury and Rocksavage were expecting and due to give birth seven months later. Ultimately, Hanbury gave birth to premature twins just four months after the wedding. Alexander, Earl of Rocksavage, and Oliver, Lord Cholmondeley were born in October 2009.

They were scrutinized again a few years later when their daughter, Lady Iris, was born in 2016. Iris' birth had all eyes on Prince William, and gossip about Prince William being her biological father spread. These rumors resurfaced again in 2024 when Kate Middleton disappeared from the public eye in the wake of her health problems. Many fans on the internet even took to comparing Iris' appearance with William's in attempts to verify that Iris was proof of an affair between Hanbury and the royal.

Before the affair rumors began, Rose Hanbury and David Rocksavage were good friends with the Prince and Princess of Wales. The origin of their friendship isn't widely known. Yet, Hanbury did attend William and Kate's 2011 wedding. In 2015, William and Kate moved into Anmer Hall, a Norfolk country house, which is just minutes from Rose Hanbury and David Rocksavage's home. Rumors of an affair between Hanbury and William went public in 2019 (although it had reportedly been a source of gossip among their circle for a few years by that point), and that same year, Hanbury's friendship with Kate allegedly ended. 

Hanbury and Rocksavage's ties to the royal family didn't start with their friendship with the Prince and Princess of Wales. Hanbury's grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, was Queen Elizabeth II's close friend, even acting as a bridesmaid in the queen's wedding to Prince Philip. Despite her family's connection to the royals, however, Hanbury did not earn her title until she married David Rocksavage. Rocksavage is a marquess, which is one step below a duke. Upon marrying Rocksavage, Hanbury became the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Furthermore, Cholmondeley holds a title called the Lord Great Chamberlain, which puts him in charge of the Palace of Westminster. Rocksavage is also a lord-in-waiting to King Charles III. So, while Hanbury has denied the affair rumors, it seems that her marriage to Cholmondeley means that she'll never be truly separated from the royal circles.