Who is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley?

Kate Middleton is only opening said public eye to just how confusing and convoluted the whole, let’s call it, lore surrounding the British royal family really is.

Still, if we managed to get through eight seasons of Game of Thrones, we can do this. The latest key new character to be introduced into the drama? Lady Rose Hanbury, whose official title is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley (don’t worry, we’ll come back to that in a minute). Hanbury has been circling the family of Prince William for years, as she’s an old friend of the Princess of Wales, but now she’s entered the scene under a lens of suspicion from online theorists who have either uncovered a dark truth or have been spending too much time down TikTok rabbit holes.

Not to be confused with Lady Danbury from Netflix’s Bridgerton, Rose Hanbury is sadly not a matchmaking Regency-era icon come to life. Here’s all you need to know about the March Hare of… The Mayonnaise of… This person.

Who is Lady Rose Hanbury?

Sarah Rose Hanbury is a British noblewoman of the highest order. Although her parents, Timothy and Emma, made a living as a web designer and fashion designer, respectively, her family has always been close to the royals. Her maternal grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, even served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

Hanbury herself wedded David Cholmondeley, the 7th Earl of Cholmondeley, in 2009, earning her the full title of The Most Honorable Lady Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. So, yes, even though her title may sound like an attempt to say “Matthew McConaughey” while drunk, it’s actually a real thing. The Cholmondeley’s children are Alexander Cholmondeley, Earl of Rocksavage, Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, and Lady Iris Cholmondeley. The word “Cholmondeley” has now officially lost all meaning (which isn’t saying much).

Prior to her marriage, the Mayoress of Chocolatetown the Marchioness of Cholmondeley served as a fashion model in her early 20s, working at the same agency that once discovered Kate Moss, and was also briefly an assistant to Conserative politician Michael Gove. These days, however, she spends her time running the Cholmondeley household — Houghton Hall, a Grade-I stately home in Norfolk that was originally built for Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister, in the 1790s. Hanbury is believed to run the estate’s official Instagram (see above).

Rose Hanbury’s connection to Prince William and Kate Middleton, explained

In short, the Lionness of Cumberbatch the Marchioness of Cholmondeley has a close connection to Princess Catherine that goes back years, as the pair are considered to have been long-term best friends. However, as far back as 2019, there have been unsubstantiated rumors that the duo have drifted (that’s despite Kate and Rose reportedly attending a rave together last year). The reason, these rumors allege, is because Rose had an affair with Kate’s husband, Prince William.

Although this story gained some notoriety in other territories, the British press never really ran with the story, which left conspiracists talking of a cover-up. These theories have now resurfaced with a vengeance following a range of U.K-based media outlets, such as The Independent, publishing pieces about Hanbury amid Kate’s vanishing act which read as highly flattering and PR team-approved.

Given that William’s own father infamously had an affair with the-now Queen Consort Camilla when he was still married to Princess Diana, the thought that history is repeating itself is spiraling out of control on social media. Some believe the “real” reason behind Kate stepping back from public duties is because she and William are quietly going through a divorce due to his imagined infidelity.

The theories even stretch to claim that Hanbury is the woman seen pictured with William in the most recent glimpse at Kate in public.

Ok, we’re pretty sure this one is being facetious, but you never know…

All in all, the Marionette of Chimichangas The Marchioness of Cholmondeley isn’t a name that many outside of hardcore royalists know at present, but it certainly seems like we’ll be hearing the title more often as the conspiracy theories show no sign of abating any time soon.