Prince William Is Trending On Twitter For A Less Than Wholesome Reason

The British royal family has had its share of headaches recently. Prince Andrew settled his sexual assault case involving Virginia Giuffre (via BBC), but reputation experts say there's no way Andrew can get back into the palace's good graces. Then there are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who crop up in the tabloids every other day for one perceived offense or another. Currently, the buzz is all about the new biography that makes bold claims about Meghan's allegedly diva-like behavior, among other dirt-tossing.

One royal who has seemingly risen above it all is Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. The second in line to the throne has been widely praised for his dignity, compassion, family-man skills, and appeal to the younger generation. As Yahoo! put it, the prince is "settled as a dad, thriving as a royal." But is he, too, about to see his good reputation shattered? A bombshell rumor threatens to do just that.

The scandal-driven site Deuxmoi, which runs blind gossip items that "may contain inaccuracies," published an item on July 28 that quickly set Twitter ablaze. As reposted here, an anonymous source blabbed a "salacious" rumor about a "British royal's extramarital affair [that is] an open secret in London and amongst the English aristo set." The writer claims that the royal's wife allegedly "doesn't mind" the other woman, "and in fact prefers her husband getting his sexual needs fulfilled elsewhere, as long as things don't become emotional." 

Though names aren't specifically mentioned, many people believe the claim to be about a specific member of the royal family.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Royals fans think the straying royal husband of the Deuxmoi gossip — if true — is Prince William. The item also refers to a previous fling, and folks are surmising it's a reference to Rose Hanbury, a friend of the prince's. There were rumors a couple of years ago that the two were seeing each other on the sly, but they were never confirmed (via Cosmopolitan).

The truly shocking part of the rumor is this claim: "At a recent media party, I was told that the real reason for the affair is the royal's love of pegging, which his wife is far too old-fashioned to engage in." We won't go into details about the sexual practice — that's what Google is for. Suffice it to say, though, that #PrinceofPegging is now a popular hashtag. 

Alas, even if false, the gossip does no favors for the palace as it tries to position William and Kate Middleton as the future of the monarchy, as well as the model of a happy, stable family. Just as Prince Charles was despised by fans of Princess Diana, William's reputation could be destroyed by suggestions of infidelity to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, whom Queen Elizabeth reportedly adores. 

Some Twitter users see the rumor as karma, as one noted: "William literally drove his brother and Meghan out of the family and out of the country and is undoubtedly still having his people engage in a smear campaign against them. And why? To distract from his love of pegging?"