The Truth About Kate Middleton And Rose Hanbury's Relationship

A scandal erupted in 2019 when it was rumored that Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales, had anything but a picture-perfect marriage. That April, tabloids reported that the royal was cheating on Kate with her friend Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley.

Rose and Kate had been friends for quite a while when the alleged affair was first reported. The Sun noted that Prince William and Kate live just three and a half miles from Rose and her husband, David Rock­savage, and that Rose and David's children are friends with Prince William and Kate's children. Rose also attended Prince William and Kate's 2011 royal wedding, so her relationship with the couple goes much further back than the rumors.

Even before the claims that Rose and Prince William had an affair, the tabloids were hinting that the friendship between Kate and Rose was rocky. The Daily Mail reported in 2016 that Kate and Rose were rivals vying to be the leader of their social set, nicknamed as the "turnip toffs" by the press.

Unsurprisingly, neither Rose nor Kate publicly addressed the rumors, but sources claiming to be close to the two women have denied all allegations of either a rift between the women or an affair between Rose and Prince William. "These hurtful rumors of a fall-out are simply false," one source told the Daily Mail in 2019. "Both wives are hurt by the suggestion that there is any argument or even a coolness between them."

Another source told Hollywood Life that Kate set no store by the rumors circulating about her husband and her friend, but that she and Prince William were hurt by the gossip. "And it doesn't just hurt them, they are very concerned for Rose," said the source. "She's a married woman with children, and she's not used to this kind of public scrutiny. She's a friend of not only Kate's but also the entire family, so this is upsetting for everyone."

Rose maintained a low profile following the rumors of the affair, but she and Kate were spotted together at a church service in January 2020 (per Tatler), so it appears that their friendship remains intact in spite of everything that has been said about them.

The coronation of King Charles III was one of the most important events to take place in 2023. It makes sense that at an event this large, where cameras would be snapping away, any drama broiling behind the scenes would be set aside so the focus was solely on King Charles' accession to the throne. Yes, that includes any drama between the feuding besties, Kate Middleton and Rose Hanbury. We were all happy to see that there were no angry sidelong looks being swapped between the two at the coronation. Instead, Kate and Rose kept their watchful gazes on their children. Both of their sons played a role in King Charles' coronation. During the big event, Rose's son Oliver was a page for His Majesty alongside Prince George.

Seeing their children be a part of something so historic might have been enough to thaw any ice between Kate and Rose. A royal insider told Marie Claire that the two mothers decided to forget the rumors and have a chat with one another at the coronation. This is where they finally managed to make amends. "There was tension between them because of all the nasty gossip," the source informed the outlet. "[At the Coronation] they had a chance to speak for the first time in a while and made peace. Now, hopefully, there won't be any awkwardness among their social circle this summer."