Prince William’s lawyers have been threatening British outlets over the affair story

The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend Gala Dinner To Support East Anglia's Children's Hospices' Nook Appeal

Whenever we’re in the midst of some kind of real royal controversy, I inevitably get frustrated with the assinine British reporting around those controversies. What I always forget though is that there are all these strange laws and media-commissions and more in the UK – they don’t have the same kind of free (for all) press we have in America. This is going to come up a lot in the months and years to come, especially when Prince William decides to flex his authority personally with editors and journalists, and when that doesn’t work, he’ll use his lawyers to threaten and bully his way into more favorable coverage.

So, obviously, William has made sure to silence the British press about the Rose Hanbury-Duchess Kate rural rivals/affair story. The American media is slowly picking it up, like In Touch Weekly’s cover story, and American blogs like this one you’re reading now. We also know that the British rumor-mongering got shut down in a hurry – Giles Coren deleted his “yes, it is an affair” tweet within a matter of hours. Now the Daily Beast (another American outlet) has done a piece about how William has been quietly trying to manage the rumors in the British papers.

KP’s weird denial of the In Touch Weekly story: Kensington Palace would not comment on the record to The Daily Beast about the In Touch story, but courtiers said the story “was totally wrong and false” and sought to pour cold water on In Touch’s credibility, saying it had previously published stories that “Obama was having an affair and Britney was having triplets.” (The Daily Beast was unable to find these specific stories online.) The publication of the rumors by In Touch will doubtless be matter of grave concern behind palace walls, as it represents the first serious breaching of a self-imposed wall of silence on the alleged affair by the mainstream media.

Giles Coren’s tweet-and-delete: Coren declined to comment on his tweet or any response to it from the palace, although the Daily Beast understands that pressure was applied by the palace.

William’s lawyers have threatened at least one British outlet: The Daily Beast further understands that at least one British publication has been served with legal warnings after publishing details of the rumors by the Royals lawyers of choice, white shoe law firm Harbottle and Lewis. One of the letters from Harbottle and Lewis states “in addition to being false and highly damaging, the publication of false speculation in respect of our clients’ private life also constitutes a breach of his privacy pursuant to Article 8 of the European Convention to Human Rights.”

The move of last resort: “The use of a legal letter by William as a future king is very much a move of last resort,” Duncan Larcombe, former royal editor of the Sun told The Daily Beast, adding, “If the stories of Kate freezing Rose out are true then whatever caused the falling out must have been very serious. While traditionally, the British royal family would not take specific legal action—the old saying was ‘never complain and never explain’—William and Harry are willing to do it in their own way.”

The “rural rivals” thing was Fleet Street’s code for “William was banging Rose”: “It can sometimes feel as if you need a PhD in cryptography to make sense of tabloid reports about the Royals,” Popbitch said, “If you’ve been following the latest Kate Middleton hoo-hah but have been at a loss to understand what a ‘rural rivalry’ is, it’s Fleet Street’s way of hinting at the long-standing society rumor that Prince William has been caught” having an affair the newsletter said. The suggestion, hotly denied by the palace, that William was in some kind of relationship with another woman, has, however, become a widely traded piece of dinner party gossip at British society gatherings in recent months.

[From The Daily Beast]

I find the last part super-helpful, actually. I’ve heard that a few times over the past few weeks, that the course of events was not “the papers made something up and William got mad.” The course of events was that the Rose-William-affair story had been dinner party gossip for months, and it was only in the past month that The Sun and the Daily Mail decided to do some coded reporting on the rumors. Which is when William ran to Richard Kay, and everything just got worse from there. Also: is it someone’s “human right” to have an affair and obfuscate that fact?

Thanks Rachel for the tip!

The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend Gala Dinner To Support East Anglia's Children's Hospices' Nook Appeal

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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159 Responses to “Prince William’s lawyers have been threatening British outlets over the affair story”

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  1. savu says:

    I was waiting, and here it is! Poor poor Wills. Always the victim. How cool would it be if they had a date night somewhere, photogs knew where they were, and heading home they respond to questions with “yeah right” while holding hands. That’s the Hollywood way to do it, not the royal way… but I bet it would work better, especially in the court of public opinion.

  2. teehee says:

    If its untrue– then hes not bullying but reprimanding bad behavior of the press – I’m for it.
    If it’s true- well then. He gets what he deserves.

    • Sash says:

      That is where I’m at.

    • Templatefox says:

      Harry also called in his lawyers when there were stories of him having a relationship with Pippa.

      If the rumors are untrue then William has every right to call in his lawyers. This doesn’t just affect the Cambridges but also another family.

      • Mia4s says:

        Oh yes let’s keep on using Harry and/or Meghan as a shield. 🙄

        Harry filed a formal complaint with the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) who investigated the story published and found it false and misleading. Will is threatening them (basically even if they have sources) as a “breach of privacy”. Not quite the same and….interesting.

        It hardly matters if it’s true, they won’t divorce. Kate will paste on a frozen smile, carry on, maybe pop out another kid, and Will is going to do what he likes. Oh the life of a princess huh?

      • Templatefox says:

        @Mia4s actually my response was to prove that royals calling in their lawyers over an alleged relationship or other allegations is nothing new. If the rumors are false then William is not alone in threatening to sue to prevent UK outlets from publishing the story. There are many stories that the royals have prevented from being published it’s just that we don’t hear about many of them.

    • satinsilk says:

      Russell Myers is the only royal reporter who has briefly touched on the subject. And according to him he said the rumors were bizarre & as far as he was aware had no basis. Russell isn’t a reporter that is known for kissing the royals butt so he has no need to try to cover for William.

      According to Lainey the British media have been in Norfolk trying to fish for clues. If they found evidence then I’m sure they would have published it cause William isn’t the only high profile figure they would have outted in the past. Either the press have found nothing or those in the know are unwilling to talk.

      • nic919 says:

        William’s lawyers have already created a chilling effect for any UK reporter with the threat of “human rights violation” to one UK paper. None of the others will dare say anything in public unless they have concrete evidence in their hands. The US reporters and others outside of the UK are not as concerned and hence why we are seeing “stories about the story” at the moment.
        In short, no UK based reporter wants their employer dragged into this mess and therefore they are all compromised.

      • Lowrider says:

        Russell’s investigative reporting is weak. He is follower just like the rest of them. They don’t want to lose access…

      • Mitoncreek says:

        Royal reporters don’t always get it right but I think Russell is likely to know more about what is happening on the ground than media people in the US or commentators who are simply rehashing things they’ve seen on Twitter.

        A lady based in Utah who has no connection to the royals & isn’t even a journalist wrote an entire thesis on this without producing any shred of evidence which people jumped on!

    • perplexed says:

      I agree.

      Isn’t it harder to sue for libel in Britain? If he’s going to sue, perhaps the story is false.

      • oddly says:

        No , it’s actually harder to sue in the US.

        Some years ago Camron Diaz sued The Enquirer in the UK as it was easier than trying to do it in the US. She won. The reason she could do it there was that the Enquirer was sold in the UK by some specialist outlets but they also had an online site, which was deemed to fall under the heading of ‘being published in the UK’.

        I’m not sure if it’s still off line but the Enquirer then closed down it’s online presence in the UK and several other countries including Australia.

        Libel would be for the tabloids but slander would also come under Williams legal warning, menaing anyone repeating the gossip could be sued, effectively shutting down the Turnips.

  3. Lorelei says:

    Way to fan the flames, William.

    • 90sgirl says:

      Yup. Lol

    • Cloudysky says:

      I agree. It’s hard to think of another reason that would compel Will to bring in the lawyers. Why would he or Kate would be so upset if it was only a turf squabble between the two women?

      • Megan says:

        Because they have three kids and William doesn’t want his kids to grow reading gossip about their parents’ private lives. Even if William did have an affair, that is a private matter and it should stay private. What public good is served by airing his dirty laundry? The same one that was served by airing Charles’ dirty laundry? I find the glee around this story really dispiriting. A father of three risking his marriage over an affair is tragic.

      • Kittycat says:

        If William is going to fight ever negative store then that will be a lot of wasted money.

        The kids will survive minor stories since they will be the ‘main royal family’.

      • Jaded says:

        If William wasn’t such a tetchy, miserable, lazy tosser then it wouldn’t matter but he sets himself up for a fall every time because of his altogether nasty attitude of entitlement. IMHO he deserves to be raked over by the press.

      • Mrs.Krabapple says:

        “Even if William did have an affair, that is a private matter and it should stay private” — except, isn’t the future King ALSO the future head of the Church of England? His “morality” DOES relate to his future role. Also, his family members are given special titles, expenses, etc., so his marital status IS a pubic matter. If he doesn’t like it, then walk away from his public position and all the perks – and drawbacks – that come with it. He can’t have it both ways.

      • Sharon Lea says:

        Meghan – this isn’t glee, we are standing up for Kate, the children, marriage and vows taken. I don’t like seeing William repeating his father’s path, getting married and thinking he do whatever he likes. The fallout during the Charles and Diana years were horrible, he knows better.

      • Janie says:

        A lot of people spend their childhoods swearing that they’ll never make their parent’s mistakes; unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. I know from experience.

  4. Nic919 says:

    Why breach of privacy (which is vague and amorphous and not applicable to a public figure) and not threats of libel?

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      Indeed, this means that someone has proof (photo’s, texts, emails). He’s been bullying the UK press for years and given the stories about Carole and PP’s, they are pushing back.

      Big Willy won’t be the first famous cheater to use privacy laws to hide an affair – David Beckham has allegedly used super injunctions to hide kiss and tell stories of his indiscretions.

      • Janie says:

        I don’t think we’re entitled to know about people’s affairs and sex lives unless it’s in the best interests of the public.

        Imo, if an actor has an affair, it’s their business and they’re totally within their rights to keep the drama within their family. There’s no public risk and they don’t owe marital fidelity to anyone outside their family; we don’t have a right to know. So I’m not really concerned if David Beckham is covering up his affairs. That’s between him and his family.

        If a public official has an affair, we have a right to know. If they’re a conservative who espouses Christian values then exposing them as a hypocrite is in the public interest. Additionally, an affair puts them at risk for blackmail, which is a threat to the public.

        William is not an actor. He is a public official who represents Britain and uses public funds. Using privacy laws to cover up matters of public interest and indiscretions that risk public harm is a gross offense. He can sue for libel if he wants (that’s what it’s there for) and argue that it isn’t true but he can’t argue that it’s a private matter. If he wants it to be private, he can abdicate and remove himself from matters of public interest and public risk. Being a public official in the royal family comes with untold benefits; he has to accept that by agreeing to be a public official, he has given up certain privacy rights for the good of the public.

    • Lexa says:

      I thought libel was implied in the “in addition to being false and highly damaging” part? In libel cases in the UK, from what I understand, the burden of proof is on the defendant (the opposite of the US) which can make the press gunshy when they don’t have concrete evidence to support their claims. But in order to claim damages, I think the plaintiff still has to prove that the writer/publication knowingly lied, which is incredibly hard to do.

      My guess is that they wanted to argue something else that could potentially result in more consequences. Article 8 does seem to apply to this situation (you can read more about it here: https://rightsinfo.org/your-rights-infographic/family-and-privacy/). It was used to suppress Pippa’s hacked iCloud photos when the hacker tried to put them up for sale, for example. Princess Caroline won a legal case in 2005 that argued that Article 8 still applies to celebrities/public figures as well.

      • Megan says:

        In the US, libel against a public figure is extremely hard to prove. So hard, in fact, Trump is trying to get the law changed in an effort to stifle anything less than gushing praise for him.

      • Janie says:

        You’re mostly right. The burden is on the defendant but to collect damages the plaintiff must prove negligence or malice. However, public figures must prove malice to successfully receive damages, which is significantly more difficult. William is a public figure and so he would have to prove malice on the part of the newspapers to successfully sue for damages.

        Additionally, public interest is a defense for libel in the UK. If the defendant reasonably believed that the claim was a matter of public interest and that the public had a right to know. This is specifically important with William because he is a government figure who holds certain power and represents the UK in international matters. An affair could be used to blackmail him and cause public harm as well as embarrass/harm the UK’s position if the story came out at a particularly unfortunate time. An affair story could be seriously harmful to the UK’s soft power (the main purpose of the modern royals) if it came out while William & QE were doing something like receiving a state visit from Vatican City or Singapore. There’s a decent defense of public interest here.

        A libelous statement doesn’t have to be willfully made. Generally, there are three types of libelous content you can be sued for:
        -Something you know isn’t true AKA malice
        -Something you reasonably should have known wasn’t true AKA negligence
        -Something published without due care to examine its truthfulness AKA negligence

        For example, if a blogger published a piece on Person A remarking on a previous sexual assault conviction BUT actually just had them confused with Person B, who actually committed the assault. There is a huge backlash and Person A’s reputation is damaged despite being innocent. The blogger reasonably should have double-checked their recollection of Person A’s history when remarking on such a serious issue and was negligent in their duty to report the truth. In this situation, Person A would have a case for libel despite the fact that the blogger did not willfully lie.

        Princess Caroline is from Monaco and tried her case in the European courts, not the British courts. The photos in question were taken in Monaco and published in the UK and Germany. There is no public interest defense in the UK and Germany because she is not a British or German public official. Additionally, they were simply pictures of her walking around with her children, which are hardly matters of public interest or public harm. With Princess Caroline, there was no “debate of general interest.” William’s situation is completely different and a strong case can be made for a “debate of general interest”.

        Pippa is technically a private figure (I think, I don’t know a ton about the royals I just dig law) and so the defense of public interest could not be tried; as a private figure her right to privacy is unquestionable.

        William would have to be stupid to sue without a certain outcome given his position. Also, I’m not entirely sure anyone has actually claimed he’s having an affair or just published “some insiders are saying” pieces which makes things difficult and muggy. It’s pretty easy to prove that at least one insider is gossiping about it so there’s really no point in suing because those pieces are hardly ever found legally libelous. If he loses, he’s drawn massive attention to the story, legitimized it, and made an enemy of the press for nothing.

    • Redburgandy says:

      In the UK, you can’t sue for libel unless a claim has explicitly been made. So far none of the UK press have made the claim that William is having an affair. The threat of the lawsuit is to prevent them from publishing the rumor, and no UK paper will take that route unless they have the proof to back it up.

    • MA says:

      Yup, exactly. Why the threat to sue over “false and highly damaging” stories but not under a claim that covers “false and highly damaging” cases? Because IF an affair story in the UK does go to print, and IF it’s false, that is exactly what William’s lawyers would be suing under….something like defamation, libel, etc. Why cite a specific law in their threat, like Article 8, invasion of privacy, but not a specific one like libel/defamation?

      What this vague threat to sue does is hint at the falsity of the reports but it’s revealing that it doesn’t go all in on the falsity and instead centers “privacy.”

    • Anance says:

      Such a good point! Way to give the game away, William.

  5. NotSoSocialButterfly says:

    I wonder-if this is true- if the affair played a part in the drama between Harry and Wallace (of Wallace and Gromit)/William?

  6. Sash says:

    While I can understand suing since this concerns specifically his wife and kids (although I think ignoring is still the best way), if he did indeed cheat, that’s on YOU, Wills. Stop trying to push everyone into protecting your image and family and actually work on, you know, being a good and faithful husband. Idiot.

  7. Gaby says:

    Ok, so this is getting interesting. This isn’t just a rumor, right?

    We all know that Wills had affairs before and there were gossips but he NEVER took such lengths to stop them, not THIS LEVEL of engagement. I don’t think this is about protecting Kate at all, as it could be a way to protect the other one as well. Could this Rose woman be his Camilla and that is why Kate was so determined to cut ties with her?

    As others have said before, Kate will never ever leave him cause Waity is in it for that damn crown, but don’t tell me she is not afraid of one of his affairs becoming something more, big enough to one day make him leave her for somebody else he fell in love with.

    • Dee Kay says:

      this is interesting speculation. i never thought about Will leaving Kate one day. i am thinking it won’t ever happen b/c he saw his mother go through the hell of a prominent royal divorce, but i guess we never know.

  8. Jo says:

    He comes across as such a smug, entitled dullard.

  9. Redburgandy says:

    I kind of see both ways. The palace could opt to do nothing & have the affair stories printed in UK outlets. However if the claims are false then it is a very damaging story to have out there unchallenged as it affects two families with young children. The other family are also private citizens.

    Didn’t Harry also call his own lawyers when there were stories of him supposedly being in a relationship with Pippa Middleton? It’s a hard call deciding what cause of action to take.

    • jan90067 says:

      If claims are false, and it affects TWO families, why isn’t the other family joining forces with Will’s legal team to fight this “smear”? I would think if Rose’s family is aghast, and is worried about untrue gossip coming out (think of the childrennnnnn!), then they’d be filing injections as well. Or isn’t that how the TTs work in Norfolk?

      • Redburgandy says:

        Richard Kay’s piece did say both families were considering legal action. It’s hard to say what has been going on behind closed doors legal wise.

      • kristen says:

        How do you know they aren’t?

      • Anance says:

        While it’s hard to say what William or Rose’s legal strategy is, think of who benefits and who is harmed.

        IMHO –

        Who is harmed?

        William. His entire image is built around the wholesome family man who married his college sweetheart and fathered 3 adorable children. He has not done anything else of note. Take that away and he becomes at best an empty shell.

        Kate. If the wife cannot put a stop to the affair, she keeps quiet and pretends everything is okay. Anything else is detrimental to her position, making her lose face and legitimizing the affair.

        Who benefits?

        Rose. She’s may be doing this out of revenge b/c William would not leave Kate or b/c William dumped her. Or, she could do this to force the issue, humiliate Kate and trigger at least a separation. (Shadowy rumors intimate Rose spoke first to others)

      • I don’t see how this benefits Rose, Anance. She is also married with young children. Outside of a stalkerish type narrative she is being cast as a home wrecker, and an adulteress. I also don’t see how this harms Kate, if nothing else she’s cast as the victim here, which she is if the story is true. This really only hurts Will and Rose, and makes them both look terrible.

    • Becks1 says:

      But, so far the actual affair story isn’t being printed in the UK press, right? There have been a few stories about the “falling out,” but so far as I can follow, the only outlet that has come out and said he is cheating is In Touch (I’m not including twitter in that.) I can understand that the whole “rural rivals” thing may have been code, but even so. This letter makes me think the press has something more that they want to print, and William is firing a very strong warning shot.

      • Digital Unicorn says:

        Indeed – it will find its way into the European press who are not afraid of Big Willy. And given Brexit it will be interesting to see if he’ll get away with using EU law to bully them as well.

      • Tomasinal says:

        If the press had proof then they have nothing to fear from a lawsuit because they could prove their claims in court. The British press aren’t timid, if there was proof they would publish it like they did with Charles & Camilla’s affair and many other high profile figures. I’m guessing there is no proof hence why they’re are backing off.

        Dinner party gossip does not count as proof!

      • BayTampaBay says:

        I keep thinking back as how the Daily Fail held onto the Camillagate tape and the Squidgygate tape for almost two years waiting for the perfect time to publish. Maybe the British press is just waiting fir the perfect moment.

      • Lorelei says:

        Exactly— with the internet, it doesn’t matter where this stuff is published. People who follow the BRF are going to see it. And William’s kids can one day, too. He is just making this into a way bigger deal than it ever needed to be if it’s not true.

        Using EU law right now just highlights his arrogance and entitlement. And now there are more headlines and the story will be prolonged. William and Jason are not smart.

  10. Himmiefan says:

    And absolutely nothing while Meghan was viciously attacked. Well Will, maybe karma’s a bit of a bitch.

    • FC says:

      Yes! I bet Wills is just praying Megan has the baby any minute to take the spotlight away from this. And sadly, the baby will probably do just that.

  11. MissyS. says:

    Just about every married male celebrity has either been accused of infidelity or being homosexual. Most of them ignore the gossip and the story usually dies after a few weeks. I think Will and some of his staff are trying too hard to kill a story that was overlooked until Richard Kay wrote that petty article for the DM. It’s obvious now that Harry and Meghan are being smeared and maligned in order to make the Cambridges look like the perfect and most stable couple.

    • Berthiec says:

      UE laws are not there to bully the press, they are there to protect every citizen, celebrities and royals included, right to to bullied by the press, not to be exposed, etc.
      Gossip can be fun for the public, it also can be very damaging for the victim. An untruth suggested enough time becomes a well known fact. It became even worse with internet, social medias,… the stories never dies. People stop talking about them, but they remember. And it comes back and slap people in the face regularly.

    • MA says:

      I mean, there was a whole cottage industry dedicated to questioning Harry’s paternity for chrissakes. I don’t recall the BRF ever suing for that.

  12. Cee says:

    Once a cheater, always a cheater.
    He cheated left, right, and center, while they were dating. Heck, he was dating someone else when he got with Kate! (We can all argue that we’re not immune to some overlap in the sense of being in a relationship and meeting someone that completely sweeps us off our feet).
    I believe the rumours are true because he’s going to great lengths to covering it up.
    Someone needs to call Olivia Pope – they can’t handle the situation.

    • Nicoleee says:

      And Harry cheated on his girlfriends, so what does that say of his future marital bliss?

    • Andrea says:

      I don’t particular care for the once a cheater, always a cheater mentality. I believe one can reform. William, however, hadn’t met his true love with Kate. Therein lies the difference.

  13. lana86 says:

    If Kate and Rose get photographed friendly, that would help to prove it’s all made up

    • Boudica says:

      Nah. It would be equally consistent with them both thinking he is a miserable tosser not worth the time of either of them.

  14. ShockandAwwww says:

    If the local paper published an unsubstantiated rumor that I had cheated on my partner, I would also threaten to sue them for libel. If they have proof, they can feel free to demonstrate it. If they don’t, they are wrong.

    Courtiers gossiping is literally junior high drama nonsense. This story is utterly bizarre in how non-specific and boring it is. They said for years that Jecca was the one that got away, and insisted one of his visits to Kenya was to have a fling with her (while at the time she was actually in London). The only articles about this couple are from the damn party two/three years ago, which was an official engagement. No pap photos, no photos of her and William together in previous years, nothing.

    Snore.

    • Becks1 says:

      But he’s not suing for libel. That’s whats kind of interesting about this.

      • MA says:

        Exactly Becks1. In the earlier piece about vague feud stories, Richard Kay was saying that they were considering legal action. Which would be bizarre about a harmless, vague falling out.

        However, now William’s threatening to sue over “false” affair stories on a basis of …privacy. Not defamation. Bizarre.

      • Nicoleee says:

        Maybe read what others are saying about U.K. Law. He can’t sue for libel because no explicit claim has been made by the press. There’s hints and that’s it. To me, it’s more telling that the U.K. press hasn’t made the claim. Kind of like they have no actual proof

      • MA says:

        @Nicolee – Yet it was reported much earlier that KP were considering legal action over rumors of a “rift,” before any hint of an affair. Why would that be necessary? What could possibly be defamatory, libelious, privacy-invading about that? Face it, none of this adds up.

      • Lorelei says:

        That is exactly why this story is so insane. If William didn’t cheat, he wouldn’t have to worry about the UK press getting ahold of “evidence” (because he would know none exists) and preemptively issuing this warning.

        There is something he’s covering up. Maybe it’s not an affair with Rose because who knows but there’s something he wants kept quiet.

    • Cloudysky says:

      It would be difficult to sue for libel based on the vague story that was published. If a story alleging Will is having or had an affair is published, then that would be the basis for a defamation suit (if untrue, of course, lol).

      • MA says:

        @Cloudsky – That’s just it. They’re threatening to sue over affair stories that haven’t been published yet but are being pursue by the press. As you say, that would indeed be the basis for a defamation suit. So why aren’t they using defamation as the basis for their threats?

        The distinction needs to be noted: The EARLIER stories were about a vague feud–which, yeah, they can’t sue for libel really. But the CURRENT story is that they are trying to squash affair reports.

      • Cloudysky says:

        Redburgundy explains this better than I did in her post above. It’s not libel until the British press actually accuse Will of having the affair.

    • L84TEA0 says:

      Why can’t the media just write a story ABOUT the rumors. Not confirming the rumors but just discussing them? Is that illegal too? Is that considered libel?

    • Sharon Lea says:

      Shock – do a search for Prince William hunting trip in Spain and Jecca Craig 2014. She is the only woman, no Kate, plus Prince Harry and two friends. There is a photo of them at the airport. Plus William went to her brother’s wedding instead of Peter Phillip’s wedding, his first cousin and childhood playmate?

      • Janie says:

        I’m super close with my ex-boyfriend. We hang out all the time without our respective partners; he slept on the floor of my dorm for a week a couple years ago (about eight months after we broke up) when he was in town visiting and we didn’t betray our partners. My boyfriend knew all about it, knew how important the friendship was to me, and trusted me. Exes can be definitely be close friends without anything sketchy going on.

        The same ex used to hang out with his ex-girlfriend a lot when we were together. They knew each other a long time and the friendship was important to him. He’s a solid human being and I trusted him 100%. Adult friendships and relationships are complicated; all you can do is find a solid partner and trust them until given a serious reason not to.

        Tbh I don’t trust William’s face, though. He just looks so smug and slimy.

    • Janie says:

      I wrote an overview of UK libel law as I understand it and how it relates to this case. The issue is that you’re (probably) a private citizen and he’s a public official whose conduct can damage the position of the state. So the laws are different for him and other public officials in the British government. I’m a legal nerd, so I’m loving this.

  15. MA says:

    You know, I’m not gleeful about anyone’s marriage falling apart …or in this case, being likely an open marriage, public humiliation regarding affairs. I only cared about these rumors insofar as they affected Meghan because I simply am not interested in the Cambridges. But as this all is slowly trickling out I feel a sense of karmic satisfaction for William. It’s what that entitled, pompous, selfish male deserves for willingly throwing his pregnant sister in law under the racist, sexist bus to cover up his crap.

    • Leena says:

      Have you any actual evidence that William has done anything of the sort? Just because the papers or some gossip site say something, doesn’t make it true.

      I hold no brief for William but if the stories of an affair are not true then as far as I am concerned he has every right to sue, not just for the sake of his own families but also for the other woman and her family. If it is true, then it is a very risky strategy to sue.

      • MA says:

        This is not another opinion piece about turnip gossip rumors or another In Touch story about an affair. This is the Daily Beast reporting on actions being undertaken by William’s lawyers, which is NOT speculation or gossip. Slowly, more cracks are appearing.

        And William isn’t suing but threatening to sue. And not threatening to sue for defamation but for…violation of his privacy. Guilty people threaten to sue all the time. See Weinstein, Theranos, Cosby…every single famous, powerful, guilty person of all time and it’s actually not risky because it’s all they have left. Of course, in a vacuum, threatening to sue is not indicative of guilt but it’s also not indicative of innocence, either. However, in the context of the BRF, threatening to sue under a claim of violation of privacy is highly unusual.

        Let’s not forget the hundreds of stories slandering Meghan, her background, her character, CALLING HER A GHETTO PORNSTAR. Funny when that happened, people said “never complain, never explain.” But this is the one exception? Makes no sense and the concern about little children and families is misplaced. The Cambridges will be raised knowing that all stories in the press about them are fake. This is the ONE being singled out, and not a finger lifted for the Sussexes. Smells fishy.

      • normadean says:

        So when Harry threatened to sue the press who said he had a relationship with Pippa, was Harry guilty as well? Or when W&K threatened to sue UK outlets who published Kate’s topless photos, should they not have bothered?

        Your assertions that only guilty people threaten to sue is not based on facts!

      • MA says:

        @normadean – I assume you’re talking to me? Please point out where I asserted that “only guilty people threaten to sue.” Reading comprehension is key. Let me break it down for you.

        1. Leena’s original post said that suing would be a risky strategy if the affair rumors are untrue. I agree with this.
        2. I made the distinction that William is not suing but issuing a THREAT to sue.
        3. I said that threatening to sue is not a risky strategy, as a general principle, if the affair rumors are untrue, because guilty people often have no other recourse. We’ve seen examples of this even in recent history.
        4. Therefore, threatening to sue doesn’t mean that a party is innocent, but it doesn’t mean that they’re guilty either.
        5. Regardless, threatening to sue for invasion of privacy (as opposed to defamation) by a BRF member is highly unusual.

      • Becks1 says:

        She’s not saying that only guilty people sue. She’s saying that threatening to sue is not evidence of William’s innocence.

  16. agnes says:

    Rural rivals is way too 30Rock for me.

    • Becks1 says:

      RIGHT?!?!?!?! I just keep thinking of Jane Krakowski lol.

      • Lilly (with the double-L) says:

        When one of these pieces had a note about Rose being a former model, or a link to an article about her bona fides in the comments, I thought about 30 Rock and Jenna. Instead of everyone’s a model in Cleveland, all toffs of a certain age can be a model in the UK. Not that she’s unattractive, but c’mon. It’s really one of the paths, prior to marriage, for the upper crust, it seems… art galleries too.

  17. MA says:

    Also side note: interesting that the lawyers are citing to EU law, Article 8 of the European Convention to Human Rights in their letter. Well, it’s not going to be applicable much longer, is it? I’m guessing there’s no U.K. equivalent law?

    Also claiming breach of privacy and not, say…defamation.

    • notasugarhere says:

      The UK rights law is similar but does not include parts like “for us not to have personal information spread about us against our will.” I posted the two versions of Article 8 in Kaiser’s post about Kate today.

      • MA says:

        Thanks, notasugarhere! Good to know. Do you know if this is how generally the legal system is currently going on in the UK, with British lawyers still citing to EU law despite Brexit looming? Or have they switched over to UK law already? Just wondering if this is common practice or unusual, just in case we can read even more into this interesting choice.

      • Tina says:

        The ECHR is not part of EU law. We are not leaving the ECHR under any circumstances. (Theresa May used to know that, before she lost her mind).

    • Cloudysky says:

      I agree @V. The Daily Beast quote tells us that one of the letters said “in addition to being false and highly damaging, the publication of false speculation in respect of our clients’ private life also constitutes a breach of his privacy.” This could imply liable, and the language also leaves open the possibility that one of the other letters specifically threatened a libel suit.

  18. Hyacinth Bucket says:

    Thing is, no one mentioned a word about cheating until *after* Will brought out the big guns and legal threats. The original story was a nothingburger about Kate no longer being friends with some random former neighbour she was never really friends with in the first place. A complete nothing story, it was Will’s crazy OTT reaction that made people believe there was something deeper going on.

    • Leena says:

      So if he had done nothing you would have believed it, if he sues, you believe it.

      Personally, I don’t know either, and certainly don’t take what the gutter press say as gospel.

      • Beach Dreams says:

        But that’s the point Hyacinth was making. Few people, if any, were even thinking of an affair when the initial report came out. William wasn’t even figuring into the claims of a “rural rivalry” between two high society housewives. If anything, people were confused about the claim that Kate wanted him to “phase out” the Cholmondeleys. The story was already being dismissed and forgotten until Kay’s piece came out.

      • Becks1 says:

        So going from this site alone, after the first post or two about the ‘rural rivals,’ a few posters mentioned it could be an affair and I think most responses were like “hmmm, interesting theory” but that was kind of it. Then a few days later the Richard Kay piece hit and I remember my initial response to that being, “oh so the vague theory floated on here a few days ago maybe had some weight to it.” I feel like CB should pin this timeline or something, lol. Had there been NOTHING said about legal threats etc, then sure, some people might have thought “affair,” because they are a high profile royal couple and some people are always going to think “affair.” But the tweets and everything were AFTER the Richard Kay article.

    • BayTampaBay says:

      I DO NOT believe the line about Cathy Cambridge not being “great friends” with Rose Hanbury.

      I feel that Kate does not have many BFs but to say “I really do not know the woman that well” is an out & out lie.

      • Beach Dreams says:

        Among the many oddities of Richard Kay’s excessive piece was the effort to emphasize that the two couples in question were not close at all. The inclusion of how many times they visited each other’s homes was unnecessary, among other things.

      • Becks1 says:

        That was weird. They aren’t friends!!!!! They have only seen each other THREE Times!!!! but even so, William called the Marquess so they could discuss how best to combat this rumor that they weren’t friends anymore!! Even though they were never friends to begin with!!!!!

    • Erinn says:

      That’s only partially true. Gossip blogs jumped onto the idea of an affair pretty quickly. I’m quite sure that was the conclusion a lot of people madein the comments of the first post about it on this site. I just don’t think it would have gone away as simply as that. Ten years ago? Yeah, probably. But not in the age of twitter.

    • V says:

      Evidently IF he threatened with legal action,the reason was that they were predicting they would have run with the rivalry rumor,authomatically hinting at the fact that there was more about it,and the story would have taken on a life of its own. I also doubt he asked Richard Kay to do anything. It was his way to fuel gossip on a vague,non story.

  19. aquarius64 says:

    Things haven’t changed in royal reporting. The British press remained silent about Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson but the American press had a go. History repeating itself but I think it’s payback for the British press for going after Meghan.

  20. Toot says:

    How is this a human right violation?

  21. Scal says:

    If he hadn’t had Kay write that piece denying everything this would have gone away as yet another rumor/random story. The going ALL IN to make it go away is making it worse.

  22. Casey02 says:

    William is deep in his own sh*t! He sat by and watch the press put out story after story all negative and harmful to his brother and sister in law and did NOTHING. Never once did he try to defend them. When Meghan tried to defend herself we heard from every RP that it was the wrong thing to do. She should just sit back and take it! Now, William has done something that he wants to keep hidden and it’s crickets from RP and British media. How is it ok on one hand to defame someone’s character with made up BS but against the law to report on a possible affair. This doesn’t make sense.

    • Vanessa says:

      I agree with you wholeheartedly every Cambridge stans and royal reporters attack Meghan for finally defending her after months of abuse by them. Now William is threatening legal action its ok but how dare Meghan and Harry take a stand against the racist hateful campaign against her all through her pregnancy. It’s amazing how now people went to accuse Meghan and Harry of putting this rumor out there but when people were speculating that the Cambridge might be behind the negative articles about Meghan the Cambridge stans were offended William and Kate would never ever do such a thing. But when it comes to Meghan she the villain she behind his even though she and Harry don’t hangout with his sets of Posh people even though this story was around a year ago. But when it come to the Cambridge possibly being behind the smears campaign against Meghan it’s not true .

      • Erinn says:

        “But when it come to the Cambridge possibly being behind the smears campaign against Meghan it’s not true .” Where are you reading this? Because on this site, I think the vast majority are pretty convinced the Cambridge’s are at fault for the Meghan stories – and I think they’d be cheering if Harry sued or threatened to sue. On top of that they think it’s ridiculous that Will is suing at all.

        And that’s what I don’t understand – why do we expect Will to sue on behalf of Meghan? Shouldn’t that be up to M&H? Now publicly supporting her – I think he absolutely should be making an effort there. But when it comes to law suits, that’s different.

      • Lorelei says:

        It shows we weren’t unreasonable to expect a strong reaction from KP when the abuse of Meghan started.

        Clearly they’re perfectly willing to “explain or complain” when they think it’s warranted, but weren’t willing to do it for Meghan.

      • Casey02 says:

        Now we know why it was imperative that H&M established their own household. KP was Williams house and they did what William said…Don’t defend Meghan but defend his cheating A**

      • Erinn says:

        And I don’t get it, Lorelei. I don’t see why nobody – Harry included – did anything.

      • MsIam says:

        @Erinn, H&M did do something. That’s what People magazine was about. When the People story came out it was said that KP and BP didn’t know it was being published. So it was an end run around them. KP refused to issue a strong statement in defense of Meghan other than the one about the “alleged” argument at the fitting. Also later about that ” gender fluid” crap.Now could H&M have sued? Should they? Who knows, maybe they were advised not to. Or maybe attorneys felt the case wasn’t strong enough. They did threaten about the letter she sent to dad though.

    • Casey20 says:

      Erin….. PW runs KP it’s his household. If he says NO, Harry has no recourse. Thus, with H&M establishing their own household PW has ZERO input!

    • windyriver says:

      @Erinn, I thing Vanessa was being sarcastic with her last line.

      Considering how Harry’s statement during their dating years re: the way Meghan was being treated backfired, I can see he’d tread carefully about something similar. Someone with more knowledge than me would know what other options might be available to influence what was being written.

      But what absolutely should have been done was to take a stand on the RF social media accounts, particularly KP, that offensive and racist remarks wouldn’t be tolerated. The fact that the RF let them stand for so many months tacitly condoned everything written by the press, and encouraged the vile comments on the DF and elsewhere. That might not have halted things, but IMO the press had a field day bashing Meghan in part because they got zero indication the RF was concerned.

      I’m not sure to what extent, if any, Harry was able to influence what was going on with the KP social media; sounds like that was William’s territory. But what about Charles, and BP? That’s what I don’t get. It makes them all look bad to permit those comments to remain.

      The RF didn’t make a statement about these social media issues until, what, March? At which point, it was about the nastiness towards Meghan AND Kate. Right.

      Looks like this comment came up in slightly the wrong place…

      • Mrs.Krabapple says:

        “The RF didn’t make a statement about these social media issues until, what, March? At which point, it was about the nastiness towards Meghan AND Kate. Right.”

        That really bugged me. They just HAD to equate Kate’s treatment with Meghan, didn’t they? As if attacks on Kate being lazy are EQUALLY as bad as the racist attacks on Meghan. It was the British equivalent of someone butting in on a “Black Lives Matter” moment to correct them that “all” lives matter. I found it really offensive.

  23. MA says:

    Also Russell Myers JUST said that there’s no story there. Way to go, British press. Really holding the powerful to account by railing on a biracial pregnant woman with a million stories about tiaras but let’s sit an an actual affair. I’m peeved.

  24. Mindy_dopple says:

    As others have mentioned, they’re not claiming libel or defamation. They’re claiming the rumors also false but mostly “breach of privacy”. Hmm….

    • Cloudysky says:

      But the story they printed didn’t allege that Will had an affair. It’s a vague “falling out” story. Legally, it would be difficult to win a libel suit based on what was actually published. Also, at least in the US, public figures have to prove not only that a statement is untrue, but also that it was made maliciously (in the legal sense of the word). I believe the standard is similar in Great Britain.

      • MA says:

        That’s the ORIGINAL story about squabbling. But this new story is about squashing affair stories among the press and threats to sue on a claim of privacy and not defamation. Threatening to sue the media for defamation would absolutely make sense in this case of a rumored affair.

      • Cloudysky says:

        This story is talking about rumors of an affair. I don’t believe any British publication has alleged there actually was one. If they do that, then libel makes sense.

    • Sash says:

      Yeah, he pretty much showed his ass there.

  25. Citresse says:

    We need a photo of Wiliam dad dancing with Rose. Please let it publish soon!!!!

  26. Margareth says:

    William is so embarassing. He will be an awful King

    • MA says:

      Charles will have a complicated legacy. He had his messy laundry but also was a leading voice on environmentalism and has the Prince’s Trust, which he started in his 20s. What’s William known for? I think his legacy will be much more straightforward, and not in a good way.

  27. bonobochick says:

    It is interesting to see KP be outraged by this story while the royal family is silent re: daily racist / classist / xenophobic articles aimed at the Duchess of Sussex. It makes the palace look bad that they’re ok with racism from the UK media but not affair rumors.

    And for the “think of the children” folks, I’m also thinking about the child DoS is about to birth while having her character attacked daily, so let’s all think about that child too.

    • Cloudysky says:

      According to this, KP hasn’t commented on the story yet. Just the ubiquitous “courtiers”.

      • Lorelei says:

        I think we’re referring to “KP” as a statement from William and/or his attorneys. I don’t expect them to blast this on their social media feeds, but this is clearly coming from KP.

      • Cloudysky says:

        But like Will, isn’t Harry is equally free to make a statement and use his attorneys?

  28. Lexa says:

    I mean… Popbitch has had at least a few items about Prince Harry’s alleged drug problem and one about Meghan having Melissa ask for freebies from designers (interestingly, PB cites BP staffers as the source on that one) and having the nickname “Meghan the Menace,” so I’m not sure what to make of that source except to say that even PB only cites them as rumors.

  29. Beech says:

    Does it become an issue if UK press quotes American press on the story?

  30. kristen says:

    No, that’s not a human right. But it *is* your/his right to sue a news outlet that intentionally publishes a lie. That’s libel law.

  31. kristen says:

    It’s disappointing to me how many people want this to be true. If you’ve lived through infidelity — whether as a spouse or child — it’s pretty traumatic. Royal or not, it’s pretty gross to want this to be true.

    • Vanessa says:

      🙄 no one is rejoicing over the rumors about William being a cheater everyone is just speculating .

    • Beach Dreams says:

      Who on earth has been saying they want this to be true? People have been (rightfully) saying that William is doing a LOT to combat what was initially a nothingburger story. Of course there’s going to be speculation about an affair as a result. For almost every article on this story, there’s been at least one comment like this and it’s bizarre.

    • bonobochick says:

      this seems like concern trolling.

      Like others have stated, I have not seen people wanting it to be true. I think the closest I’ve seen is some people thinking it’s karma for William and Kate to be getting the negative media spotlight considering the year and a half of articles / interviews relentless attacking Meghan while they stayed silent or were praised in those same articles attacking her

  32. DS9 says:

    My takeaway here is that he did cheat but knows they don’t have proof because this isn’t when he cheated. So he’s shutting it down before anyone can truly dig deep and find out when and with who.

    Otherwise, he’d leave it be like all the other untrue shit no one can prove about his sister in law.

  33. topsy says:

    Somewhere, karma is having a big laugh. The Royal Family didn’t lift a finger to defend Megan through one of the most vicious smear campaigns ever seen. Chances are good that certain members of the Family helped fan the flames (looking at you Katie Keen, Normal Bill and Pedo Andy). Didn’t they realize that eventually the press would start hunting for bigger game? Especially with all of you telling the world just how unimportant Megan was. Now the press has the heir to the throne in their sites and it serves them bloody right.

    My only concern is what’s going to happen once Megan and Harry’s baby is born. I fear for that child’s safety because the long knives will be out and certain circles might be more than willing to throw a newborn to the wolves to protect themselves.

  34. aquarius64 says:

    I think a tape or a recording is going to surface. Slick Willie is going to get busted.

    I’m am wondering with his spy field trip if MI5 told him Russia or another enemy has compromat on Willy. With Brexit going on a royal sex scandal is an interesting grenade to lob for feeling of in stability in the country.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      Oh I think there are receipts, Big Willy only gets his lawyers involved if he’s been stupid and left a trail of evidence behind him, like CCTV of him shagging a random in the fire escape of a nightclub (when he was ‘on’ with Kate) – lawyers and favours to the press were given to make that go away.

      The Daily Beast article about the legal threats talks about how its ‘a widely traded piece of dinner party gossip at British society gatherings in recent months’ – thats an interesting statement to make as it implies that the Cambridges have known about the gossip for some time and did nothing, only acting when some vague non story about 2 women falling out made it into the press. Again, no smoke without fire.

  35. Irish Reader says:

    I remember the stories about William stuffing tissues under his mother’s door whenever he heard her crying after a fight with Charles. It’s disappointing that William is incapable of keeping it in his pants.
    The guy has no sex appeal, and he just looks so boring (and bored).

    I don’t feel sorry for Kate. But I wonder if she’s planning on stepping out too. Hi Ben Ainslie! 😉

  36. ChiaMom says:

    I told you that photo of them three said it all Kate’s leaning in Rose aghast Will smirking. Diana he is not

  37. guest says:

    Someone is protesting an awful lot. Hmmm

    As for human rights?! Omfg go cry a river William

  38. Lowrider says:

    He is doing too much for a piece of gossip that is supposedly not true!!!!

    😂

    Billy goat needs to cool it!!!

  39. Nicegirl says:

    How old are Rose’s children?

  40. Mego says:

    It’s interesting that Charles and William are getting rather litigious all of a sudden when something about them they don’t like is published in the media.

    Where was their litigious spirit when their daughter and sister in law was getting trashed in the media? As if a beach shot or silly affair rumour are worse than a months long racist attack on a woman?

    Get. A. Grip.

  41. Mindy says:

    I think there is definitely truth to this story because of how it’s being reacted to.
    First by Willy’s weird denial story. Had there not been an issue of great proportion they would have simply stated that both couples are fine and remain good friends. They have the same social circle, why choose the “we don’t know them” route? That would only create further problems and division.

    2. A good PR person will tell you when you need to take a step back and listen. They need to be able to tell you hard facts. Imagine being a pr person to someone who is brought up to thinking that they are ordained by God. Now try to imagine telling a spoiled prince that you may not like this but this is how this situation needs to be handled. Poor Jason needs to find a balance between stroking royal ego and telling some hard truths.
    It’s that knee-jerk reaction to shut the gossip down when it’s to close to home that started this spread.

  42. guest says:

    Someone said William and kate are praying that meghan goes into labor soon 🤣

    William just made this 10 times worse then what it originally was. Nice job 👍

  43. intheknow says:

    I generally don’t like to comment on other women’s looks especially on aging. I was wondering why has Kate aged so quickly in the last 6+ months. She seems very happy after the birth of Louis but she also looks to have aged 10 years. Check out the church pics from Common Wealth day…now it makes sense. If your husband is philandering and the whole world is about to find out, the betrayal, the shock, the humiliation etc will age the fk out of you. I speak from experience sadly.

    Yes, I suspect Kate knew what she signed up for…but even then, knowing and believing (incorrectly) that you are not enough for him and he needs ‘extra’ makes you feel shitty inside.

    I think Louis was a sort of ‘consolation’ to Kate for all his crap. I believe he only wanted 2 kids and stated as much. If you feel like you can’t please your man enough or satisfy him enough or what ever..no amount of money, power and prestige can help the crushing self esteem. And one day Kate WILL snap. She is still human with emotions and an ego. William could be in for a rude awakening. Sometimes it’s best to let men like william underestimate you, and when you are ready to strike, they wont see it coming…sort of like Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise. Both believed they have their wives trained and in full submission…

    Perhaps Kate is hanging in there for her kids to reach a certain age, to hopefully be Queen Consort…but something will snap inside her. I hope not to the point of a mental break down or anything like that…but something that will give William a kick up the arse.

    Also, it is possible Charles is leaking some of this to take down William’s image of the ‘loving family man who never cheats’ especially since William has not been nice to his father. William is being taken down simultaneously as the Middletons…..coincidence? Probably not.

    • GM says:

      I never like to comment on someone’s appearance, but I have to agree with you on this. However, I think a big part of it is that she is too thin. The less fat you have in your face, the older you appear. I think she needs to gain back some weight. She looked beautiful during her pregnancy.

    • Anance says:

      “William is being taken down simultaneously as the Middletons…..coincidence? Probably not.”

      I noticed that as well. I think that something is seriously going on behind the scenes. Taking down the Middletons and Kate’s haggard looks implies that they are no longer under William’s protection and Kate’s/Midd’s enemies saw an opening.

      I agree with you on how devastating cheating is to the injured spouse. It’s one thing for your husband to hook up during travel, another to have an affair w/someone his family and aristocratic circle might perceive as a better fit for him than you. Kate has lost weight during times of stress, e.g. before the wedding.

      I wonder if this was leaked by Rose (or friends) who felt that the overwhelming coverage of Meghan gave them cover for this story.

  44. Birds eye view says:

    It was a non story til William brought in th lawyers. Like a poster said above..his image of th happy family man and doting dad is all he’s got…there is nothing else to him…he’s lazy petulant entitled and boring….he is told to care about issues like mental health to make him look engaged but he doesn’t really care about anyone but himself.

  45. JByrdKU says:

    I’m not saying the affair didn’t happen (or haven’t already happened), but it’s possible that isn’t the case THIS TIME. I just think if I were in a power position, and my kids were old enough to start reading headlines, I might take it more seriously too.

  46. chitowngal says:

    I think they had an affair. I also think that’s the reason that Kate seems ‘more relaxed’ and ‘engaged’. The balance of power in the relationship has shifted in her favor. William looks like ‘Charles part 2’ if it gets out.