The rumors started about five weeks ago – that’s when The Sun published the shady article about the Duchess of Cambridge trying to “phase out” her “rural rival,” Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Within 24 hours, Prince William ran to Richard Kay at the Daily Mail and got Kay to write one of the most curious denials ever, a denial which seemed to underline the point that there was something major happening between Rose, Kate and William. The Kay piece also threw the Duchess of Sussex under the bus completely, and for no apparent reason. In the days that followed, we heard gossip that the “rural rival” story was the British-tabloid code for an affair between William and Rose and later, we heard that the affair had been happening for some time and that William’s lawyers were basically threatening every British media outlet about publishing anything about it.
So why this trip down memory lane? I don’t know, I actually haven’t written a story about Rose Hanbury in weeks, although I’ve mentioned her in royal coverage a few times. Everybody seems to be talking about it anew, even though there hasn’t been any new gossip in weeks. William’s lawyers did a good job shutting down the story in the print media, but obviously, the story is still gathering steam online and on social media. Last week, Pop Alerts tweeted this (about a month too late) and it started another round of rumormongering online:
Prince William has cheated on Kate Middleton with her best friend, Rose Hanbury, according to reports.
The Prince & Duchess have been together since 2003 & share 3 children together. Kate returned to London with only her kids, last night. The royal family has not commented. pic.twitter.com/Ssv9YX3aDm
— Pop Alerts (@PopAlertNews) April 24, 2019
I feel like the affair story keeps getting second and third lives because A) William and the British press establishment have used Meghan as a human shield to deflect criticism from the Cambridges and B) because the affair story just FEELS true. Especially given the cover-up moves from the past month – if this had just been idle gossip, surely William wouldn’t have brought down the hammer on the story so thoroughly.
Which brings me to this Royal Foibles post from a few weeks ago – I only saw it last Thursday. I’m not going to post excerpts or even try to summarize the whole thing, suffice to say that I agree with many of the theories/rumors in it. I think William and Rose started happening during Kate’s last pregnancy (the Louis pregnancy) and that Kate only found out about this year. I also think Royal Foibles is right about Rose Hanbury doing the “rural rivals” leaking as a way to punish Kate for not understanding the aristo rules. There’s SO MUCH juicy stuff in this story though and it’s absolutely worth a read for all royal-gossip-followers.
So the question is “what’s next?” What’s next is that Baby Sussex comes and that will dominate headlines for weeks and William and Kate hope that when everything is settled, no one will remember Rose Hanbury. William will continue to shut down any British-media speculation and the papers, fearful of lawsuits, will agree to cover it up. And the Cambridges will be fine. William always had a wandering scepter and Kate always ignored it. The reason why this affair became such a big deal is because Kate tried to phase out Rose and Rose wouldn’t let her. But the Cambridges’ marriage is fine. I even think they’ll try for another baby later this year.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
What a vapid, awful bunch of people. Im grateful to be a common person if this is what passes for normal with the aristocracy.
Right?! Terribly grateful for my plebeian morality which allows me to require honesty and fidelity from a partner. Ugh! I wouldn’t mind more money, but honestly I’m not sure I could stomach being an aristo.
This is all speculation and rumour mongering there is no evidence it’s true
So she’s punishing Kate for not understanding the “aristo rules” when a) she was just a commoner as well b) she won’t ever be queen?
This was my thought too.
In the end Kate, who is thinking on the long run, and she sticks around no matter what, she has proved that, one day will be queen. Rose is the one who has made a mistake.
It’s a stretch to say she’s “just a commoner as well.” I’m American and have no idea who they are besides the British royal family so I did some quick research (Googling) to try and figure out who is who. Rose’s grandmother was the daughter of an earl, goddaughter of Queen Mary and bridesmaid to Queen Elizabeth II. So while not royal and titled on her own, she was definitely raised in aristocratic circles I believe. But you’re right, Eleonor, Kate will be queen eventually and I bet her memory is long. Mine would be.
Hmm? Rose is aristocratic by blood, her paternal grandmother was a bridesmaid for the Queen. And her husband’s family has a *very* long history with the royals. I’m not completely on board with the writer of the Royal Foibles article, but they made a very important point: some aristocratic families are far too embedded in the elite circles to be “phased out”, as Kate apparently tried to do.
It doesn’t matter that she’ll be Queen consort because she’s still a “lowly” commoner to these people at the end of the day. The aristocrats even look down on the royals for crying out loud. They don’t see the royal family as having quite the same esteemed lineage as them.
And its worth pointing out that her husband has a role as Lord Chamberlain, and my understanding is that it is inherited, and not something that William can take away from him when king. As LC, the marquis and marchioness attend many (all?) of the state banquets, and I don’t think Will and Kate can prevent that. So Kate can only freeze her out so much.
Rose grew up in these circles, and Kate didn’t, and I think that’s why Rose lashed out like this.
@Becks1 Rose and David cannot be “phased out” of court events but the can be excluded from private events. I think Cathy Cambridge wanted them axed from private events.
IMHO, Cathy miscalculated as the Turnip Toffs, other titled aristocrats and the wealthy landed gentry closed ranks around the Cholmondeley’s to protect them and send a message to Bill: Control your wife.
Some of these families have outlasted the tudors, the Stuarts and the hanovers. They aren’t worried about Kate Middleton. Besides the Queen Mother got ripped for her background and she was only able to lash out at Wallis, the American divorcé. She was never able to go after the embedded aristo families.
Also, the Queen consort throne is literally stored at Rose’s home.
Yup, Beach Dreams. Everything you said.
Becks1, that will make for many interesting official dinners in the future.
@baytampabay – yep. This was what I was getting on the other thread.
Kate might be queen one day, but she can still be frozen out by the aristocracy.
Per LT, “What a vapid, awful bunch of people.”
I feel sorry for Kate but she married into this set of ” vapid and awful people”. Kate had to have had some idea of what she was marrying into as this has always been William’s set (Harry not so much). I believe Kate thoroughly understood how the aristo’s operate as she is not stupid.
I have no doubt that Kate loves William very much. However, if being Queen Consort is not in the top three things of your “to do” list, why would you take a risk of losing your happiness (maybe your mind too) to marry into this family in the first place. Exhibit #1) Chelsy and Exhibit #2) Cressy.
Some irony, The Throne Chair that Kate will be sworn in on as Queen Consort sits ,resides in Rose’s home.
The Chumley’s home.
@BayTampaBay there is also Diana.
@BayTampaBay, the same could be asked of Meghan. She couldn’t have predicted just how vicious the tabloids would be, but even a cursory google search would tell one all they needed to know about these people. No amount of wealth, fame, or privilege would entice me to change places with Kate or Meghan. Obviously they wanted the lifestyle, and I cannot fathom why.
@AryasMum,
IMHO, Chelsy & Cressy (even though they are old money & an aristo respectively) did not want this lifestyle and wanted to keep their sanity by staying away from this family which is why they said “NO” to Harry is the point I was trying to make.
That article is so cruel! If it’s true, these people are the absolute worst.
I really hope Megan and Kate support each other more behind the scenes than it appears because those horrible “true blues” are just as (almost as?) awful to Kate as they seem to be to Megan.
All these people cackling with glee on Twitter, I don’t get either. Why would you take so much joy in something like this? Your husband having an affair while you are pregnant and sick as a dog is so low and so hurtful. Not to mention that there are kids involved on both sides, though only “middle class” Kate might care about that, apparently.
None of this will really affect Meghan and Harry because this not the set the Sussexes want to hang with. The Sussexes prefer Prince & Princess Seeiso Bereng Seeiso of Lesotho, Oprah, the Obamas, Amal Clooney, Bill & Melinda Gates, Angelina Jolie…etc…etc.
Turnip Toffing is NOT what I see Megs & Harry doing in their limited personal free time.
per DuchessP, “And many of these aristos DO go back past Henry and the Tudors”.
And they love to rub it in the face of the BRF or any wannabe upstart when crossed. It is very sad, but that is just the way it is.
The turnip toffs gossiping is what started the rumor but it’s Meghan’s stans that are trash? Go off then.
Obviously the aristos have little to no respect for their future queen consort or her power because when Kate tried to flex they said not today.
@DuchessP – you sound dumb.
per DuchessP, “And many of these aristos DO go back past Henry and the Tudors”.
Tatler magazine is supposedly the magazine of the British upper crust, but several years ago, it had an article about the aristocracy that I took as trying to knock them off their high horse. The article pointed out that noble families that went back before the Tudors were the ones who murdered, pillaged, and plundered better than anyone else. Ouch.
the reason why people are giving credence to this is because willie decided to let meghan and harry be the scapegoats to cover up what he was doing. all the rumors about meghan started happening after the tour overseas and hasnt let up even throughout the pregnancy. will is quick to get his lawyers in to protect himself but funny as he cant help his own sister inlaw who gets ripped to shreds for existing
The fact that Rose & her husband haven’t threatened to sue anyone for the dragging her reputation is taking makes me believe the rumors even more. If anyone ought to be able to shoulder the burden of proof that the story is nonsense it would be her.
They’ve been rather ‘quiet’ on that front, haven’t they? Outside of Richard Kay claiming that both parties considered legal action, we haven’t heard a peep from them. Maybe KP told them that they’d handle the situation? But with the shambolic way KP’s been managing this situation, I wouldn’t maintain much confidence in them.
Are there major British media outlets reporting “the affair”? I have not followed it very closely but from what I’ve seen the strongest allegations are via Twitter and low rent tabloids, and by low rent, I don’t mean UK based Daily Mail. I mean US based InTouch
TMZ has now reported on it. They aren’t high class, but they are high profile and have had some accurate scoops in the past.
Jezebel has an article too.
Sure, there’s stuff on social media, but not always accurate stuff. That tweet embedded in the story doesn’t mention the reason Kate came back to London alone—William was on his way to New Zealand for events honoring terrorism victims. So while it’s “true”, there’s more to the story.
Does anyone have any insight as to why the UK papers haven’t at least reported on the fact that OTHER outlets have reported it?
I get that they won’t outright publish a story claiming that William cheated due to his legal threats, but what on earth is preventing them from doing exactly what was described in the Royal Foibles post?
It is preposterous that he can bully them to this extent. The literal purpose of the royal reporters is to report on the royals and they can’t even do that!!
The original comment is why aren’t the Cholmondeleys suing or threatening to sue. I think that a lot of thought has to be given when it comes to going after non-British media outlets and the laws in the country that the outlet is based out of. In addition you also have to worry about the Streisand effect.
By the way when did TMZ cover the story and what was the headline, in their index for both William and Kate the last story for both of them was the Christmas walk at Sandringham in late 2018?
I don’t think being the mistress of the future king is a drag on her reputation, though. Not in those circles.
No, It is not a drag on her reputation one iota. Princess Anne’s so called “goings ons” with Andrew Parker-Bowels was not a drag on her reputation one iota either.
I love Both of their dresses. That’s all I’ve got!
Three slices of plain cheese on stale white bread, with a wee pickle on the side.
😉
LOL… Thank you for this laugh
Hilarious! 😂
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 that comment. I choked on my coffee.
This is the most uninteresting affair ever. Dry like toast.
hehe
@chefgrace hahahahaha!
I couldn’t live like that – but there are plenty of people out there with a different kind of marriage than what I have. It seems to work for some, not for others.
It seems like the richer you are / the more fame you have the more everyone is just sleeping with everyone else in those circles. I’m WAY too anxious of a human to ever survive in that kind of situation.
Erinn, I would guess you married for love like I did.
The Aristos marry into a social set with different rules than what one finds in the modern day USA and for reasons other than love.
PopAlerts tweet is ignoring that Kate returned to London with just the kids because Will was on his way to NZ at that time.
Yes, I was just about to post the exact same thing.
Rose was best friend??? 👌🏼 sure thing. Another fairytail
There will definitely be a bandaid baby. Not just for this, but to keep providing Kate cover for not working and to rival the attention Meghan will get for the baby.
Ugh, another kid? When us plebs in Britain will be punished for having more than two (as in, can’t claim moneys from the state for the child unless it’s a product of coercion). I bloody well hope not.
I don’t think Charles/The Queen will allow for a fourth child, as people are struggling enough as it is. Increasing numbers relying on food banks and schools are having to help families buy toiletries and sanitary care products. We live in a country where ‘period poverty’ is becoming a bigger and bigger issue.
W&K do whatever they want, regardless of what HM or Charles want them to do. If they want a second bandaid baby, they’ll have one. Or rather, Kate will get another child William may not want.
I think Kate wants four to mimic the family the Queen had. I don’t think William wants a fourth child AT ALL. So we’ll see.
Most thought he didn’t want a third child and then the dad dancing episode happened and within months she was pregnant. If Kate wants a fourth child she will have one. If anything this rose fiasco has given her more leverage with him in that regard. By September we will know if she wants another one.
A couple of months ago she told a person outside an engagement that she was feeling broody. Expect a fourth in exchange for William’s affair/s being public?
Oh definitely, there will be at LEAST one more Cambridge baby. Predict pregnancy will be announced by the end of 2019.
Unpopular opinion: I don’t think he cheated and I don’t think he ever will.
:runsforcover:
Agreed!
That’s fine. I think he will but I don’t think they will divorce.
Eh, I don’t really either, it does make me a little uncomfortable the people that desperately want it to be true.
There are five children involved so I hope it isn’t true.
Yes!
But it FEELS true!!!
Osgirl I thought someone stole my name for a moment.
Lol
Oh I’m pretty sure he’s cheated on her at some point. Who with and how much are my only unknowns. And if he hasn’t, he certainly will.
It’s Harry who I think won’t cheat.
Why? Because he has such an excellent history of being faithful? That should be read with all the sarcasm you can muster.
He cheated with her, then cheated on her for 10 years. She and her family know and accept this.
Will’s cheating was pretty well reported on before Kate and Will got married. Everything was whitewashed after the engagement. I’m old enough to remember the dating years.
“Has cheated on her for 10 years”… And you know this… how?!
So many new posters, deliberately unaware of William’s long history of infidelity, his cheated-on girlfriend, and the evidence of his trysts. Keep spinning, it doesn’t change his cheating history.
@notasugarhere, Please be patient as some of the newbie posters are new to Royal Watching game. SH*T, some of the newbies and probably younger than William & Harry. Very few of us around these parts are old enough to have “Royal Watched” Charles’ hunt for a bride and his engagement to Diana.
New and/or deliberately ignorant about the facts?
@notasugarhere, I am guessing probably a good mixture of both at about 70/30. Paid trolls are allowed only so many post per day on the Daily Fail.
To quote the Princess Bride and Inigo Montoya: you keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Conjecture, supposition and rumour do not equal facts. So, whilst there may be many rumours and stories and whilst it may make sense, these still aren’t facts. Condescending to others that they don’t know the clear facts when there are none is… an interesting choice.
For the record, I totally think William probably cheats on Kate. But me believing it doesn’t necessarily make it true.
It could be true that he didn’t cheat, but it seems at least to me, that he’s got an entitlement mentality and thinks that since he’s given Kate what she’s always wanted, why not wander? He’s going to be kiiiing! Unless the monarcy’s abolished.
He absolutely cheated on her when they were dating. That’s what all the breakups were about. And if he has managed to stay faithful once married, he certainly treats her poorly most of the time when they are in public. They don’t need to hold hands but he rarely looks out for her, and it’s very obvious when she’s pregnant that he’s not paying attention. I don’t care if they’ve known each other for years, he exhibits a general lack of courtesy toward her that cannot be explained by protocol.
Also rumours that apart from Willy wandering into the Rose Bush, he has also been around a banker AND a lawyer, one of whom is supposed to be German?
We might have to wait a while but it will all come out.
Yeah I’ve seen photo’s and clips where it looks like he’d berated her – there is one photo that sticks in my mind where they had just gotten off a helicopter and she was wearing a dress and was flattening her hands at the front to hold it down and he looked liked he was having a go or had been. She looked cowed and he looked pissed. Big Willy has a nasty bullish side – he also apparently cornered Katie Nicholls once and aggressively demanded that she write positive stories about Kate and her family.
I am no Kate fan but no one deserves to be publicly humiliated as he has done to her over the years. He has never treated her with any respect or any kind of decency. Even his own friends were appalled at how badly he treated her.
@Digital Unicorn, I agree with your post and it has given me an opportunity to take up for Cathy Cambridge which is something I seldom do.
IMHO, Kate never wanted to be anything but a rich’s man wife before she meet Bill Cambridge. I think the relationship with Billy Wales just snowballed to the point where she was in too deep before she could safely get out. Her mother just made matters worse. The only work Cathy really wants to do is domestic, volunteer work for the local chapter of the Junior League, and be what in the USA call a ‘Homeroom Mother”. I believe, because I really do not know, that Cathy is a great mother par excellence. However, I really do not think she enjoys Royal work. I do not think she realized how hard and time consuming it would be to do her Royal job properly. However, she married a Royal and she needs to step up her game. She signed the contract. No matter how things have gone down, she will never have Pippa’s life (which is what she really wanted). Responsibilities outside of the domestic sphere and calls for her patronage are going to much worse and probably not ever get better work wise with the QEII slowly standing down and all BUT abdicating in the nest 2-3 years.
With regards to Turnip Toffgate, my real questions is “Who in the hell told Rose that Cathy was attempting to “phase her out”. If I were Cathy the friend who leaked this confidence to Rose is the one I would go after. FYI: I do not think Bill Cambridge told Rose the Cathy wanted her “phased out”.
Please provide any tinfoil hat theories you may have to my above post.
Wild, baseless speculation, just for fun:
Maybe Kate looked so happy after Louis because I’m addition to the third baby, William was pulling out all the sweet and loving gestures.
Cheating husbands tend to be extra attentive to their wives.
The same thought occurred to me. Kate looked genuinely happier and more content than I’ve seen her since the engagement announcement and wedding. If that’s true I imagine it made the discovery of his affair with her good friend even more painful and humiliating. I honestly hope none of this is true because I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but it just has a ring of authenticity that’s hard to ignore.
I thought about this as well. Same – nothing to base it on – but she did seem SO happy, and while it’s always possible, I can’t see William just suddenly turning his whole personality around for unselfish reasons. She appears strongly connected to Louis, and if Will was lavishing her with love and affection, and she was busy with her kids, she wouldn’t necessarily notice what was making him happier.
Royal friends are chosen for their discretion and covering up affairs is apparently very common in aristocratic circles. I find it unlikely that someone like Rose who knows “the rules” would leak the story. Unless, of course, Kate hasn’t played by “the rules” and has tried to freeze her out. If the stories of William’s affairs are true, I honestly can’t see the Cambridges divorcing. They will simply live separate lives together like so many other royal couples before them.
That was the initial story in the Sun and DM: that Kate wanted her “rural rival” and her husband “phased out” for unknown reasons. Considering how the aristocratic set think, I can see the Chumleys wanting to ‘put her in her place’.
I think you are right. The aristocratic set don’t take kindly to newcomers with new money.
Good lord, yeah have another baby.
I think if this story is true then I also think Lord Cholmondeley knows and may have even encouraged his wife’s behavior. Guy’s know to be a bit…different and sexually liberated on one hand and a hardcore aristo on the other.
What really got me in that article was the fact it irks the aristo crowd that William and Harry didn’t marry amongst them despite the fact no woman in that crowd wanted to marry them. What’s the logic in that?
Please put on your tinfoil hat and adjust the dial to medium.
I believe the Cholmondeley’s conspired together to leak this story to get back at Cathy for trying to “phase out” Rose.
However, the cost of admission to view Houghton Hall in Norfolk is around $30.00 USD per head. I am willing to bet that with Turnip Toffgate the paid admissions to view “the throne” and look at the pictures will increase tenfold and allow Rose & David to go on an art buying spree and name a picture “The Art that Cathy bought” as this is the way the aristos think, IMHO. LOL! LOL!
Sorry. This is what happens when I get stuck at home feeling better.
I can’t help but wonder if they just expect Kate to shut up.
@ Lucia, Unfortunately, I think that is exactly what they expect her to do. I think they want her to base herself out of London and find a ‘London Set” to hang with. Maybe some good will come out of this mess with Cathy & Meghan becoming closer due to this ridiculous escapade.
This is 100% Bill Cambridge’s fault due to his total mishandling of the situation.
Well said Kaiser
“There’s SO MUCH juicy stuff in this story though and it’s absolutely worth a read for all royal-gossip-followers.” – Kaiser
The Royalfoilbles article was written with touches of language from someone close to or inside that world. The language and the info, breakdown of each step into the alleged affair/ close friendship and William’s alleged wandering ways, over the years was an eye opening read.
One of my European friends was chatting with me and said the new Euro magazines said Kate stays with mom a lot since cheating Rumours emerged, but I have not seen those articles anywhere yet.
Kate has always stayed with her parents when Willy is not at home, this is why the taxpayer got stiffed with a £1million bill for ‘security’ upgrades to Middleton manor when they first got married. The house that William allegedly bought with some of his inheritance.
Am not sure Kate is running to mummy as she used to, she has a lot of help with the kids and since that story last summer where they basically kicked Carole out of KP am not sure sure she’d want her mother that involved. I think Kate spends much of her time with her friends, her sister or doing stuff with the kids/her own thing, I believe the stories that she’s build a little life for herself away from London and him. He has really become such a toxic twat.
That story came from a pro-Kate, pro-Carole standpoint. How Kate is now her own woman, not leaning on Carole, after years of her running home to mummy and being tied to the apron strings. In the face of independent Meghan, the Middletons needed to change the spin to “Oh Kate is coming into her own, she’s an independent woman, perfect future Keen Queen Consort”.
Yes, that blog had quite a few juicy parts! I most appreciated hearing how William really is, a narcissist etc. and that he laughed at Kate when she confronted him. I totally believe he can be a prig. Pictures don’t lie, he doesn’t have the charisma and lots of, let’s face it, famous friends that Harry has. Instead he is insulated by those that keep the tribal, royal trees continuing. But the world is changing, so what will things be like in 20 years or so?
Not only are Harry’s friends famous, they are self-made and accomplished.
How can Kate stay at home with her mother when she has two children in London schools and it seems to be practically always Kate or William who does the school run with George? Maybe the other one does Charlotte? William is meant to be very chatty with the other parents and turns up unannounced at school events wearing his specs! When the schools are on hols the Cambridges seem to be in Norfolk. The school apparently makes little of the fact that George is a pupil there with no fuss. George is said to be a happy, popular child.
The one thing that keeps me from believing that William had an affair is the evidence – where is it? This rumour has been regurgitated so many times now but there is no new information in any of the articles or actual evidence to back up the claim. When Charles and Camilla were having an affair their phones were tapped, when Fergie was cheating there were pictures of her sucking the toes of a guy, when Anne was having an affair her letters were stolen. Hell, even when Mike Tindall cheated on Zara there was photographic evidence of him kissing another woman but no evidence has come to light that proves William had an affair with Rose.
I asked the same question the other week.
Diana and Charles were reported as a golden couple for years, I have so many old articles that say, they married for life , she will be Queen one day and they can never divorce.
Except for one story of a blonde in the Royal train, one last whoopie before marriage supposedly, which was reported by British press but denied, by the Royal image makers at the time.
There were ONLY Rumours of Charles affair with Camilla for years and years in the US tabloid press, while the British press NEVER TOUCHED The story for years and outright DENIED it for years and years and portrayed Diana and Charles as Golden couple.
Some who haven’t followed Royal tabloid news history for decades , or are younger, just seem to assume the British press was immediately reporting on Charles and Camilla Affair, as soon as the marriage of the Wales happened, but that’s just not so. I have tons of old British magazines and newspapers where Diana and Charles were seen as and written up as The Golden married Royal couple for years ‘ who could never divorce and Married for Life and the British press never discussed or either just denied all talk of an affair for years and years.
Meanwhile the US tabloids were reporting the cheating Charles, Camilla stories because only the US tabloids would dare print the info they were getting from reporters like James Whitaker who had sources inside the Royal household, who told him things. He couldn’t get his British paper to print it, so he sent the stories overseas to USA tabloids.
In other words sometimes today’s Rumours take years’ a decade sometimes to emerge as fact if someone decides to talk or if one wants out of a marriage.
The British papers reported on Charles and Camilla’s affair before his marriage to Diana and when they started up again while he was married to Diana. It was not widely reported but there were royal gossip columnists who talked about Charles and his “confidante” Camilla. If the US papers reported on it, I am willing to bet they were rehashing things they got from the British media.
The legal letter that William’s camp sent said, “violate his human rights.” It’s very noteworthy the letter did not say libel or slander. For something to be libel or slander the rumor has to be untrue. So, in essence, the language of legal letter confirmed the affair.
Or, it just confirmed that none of the British outlets said outright, “PW had an affair”. They did everything they could to hint at it and allude to it, to protect themselves and not be subject to libel law.
With no denial of an affair as part of any statement from Will’s camp.
It actually referred to the rumors (if the DB article has some truth) as malicious and false. None of the articles ever wrote about the affair,so the libel accusations were not justified. It was really about every type of gossip concerning them and the other couple.
Very good point.
It’s not even about some photo evidence. One would think that after a month that this vague pseudo scandal has been around on social media,if there was really more substance in this whole thing,someone would have found a way to leak more detailed info. If UK tabloids don’t want to touch it,there’re a lot of ways to make a story come out.
True. Although there has been a massive crackdown on the way the media source info in the UK since all of those things happened. New rules are in place. Bear that in mind.
In regards to Tindal, I always called bullsh*t on that one. I think it was exactly what Zara said it was: he was there with a group of their close friends, they were all drunk, he was drunkenly overly affectionate with one of their female friends. She kissed him on the top of his head, he had a bear hug arm around her, they leaned in to speak to each other in a loud room. Inappropriate to many, I’m sure; but not the same as cheating. I worked in pubs back in the day and I’ve been in plenty of them. Drunk people behave this way alllll the time and it’s often between friends and not sexual. Drunken affection for a mate.
This is so annoying. All of these people are so over privileged. I don’t think this is true. None of these people have any real sources and this dumb story was given legs by that asshat Giles Coren’s tweet – and why he’s considered a credible source is beyond me because he sucks – and Nicole Cliffe’s tweets. I love Nicole but she knows absolutely nothing beyond what we all read.
The worst thing William could have done here and did is be so heavy handed and try to shut it down. But he’s a PR idiot, despite what he thinks – doesn’t make him a cheater. Or maybe he is! Literally no one knows and it is really uncomfortable how much people want this family to be broken apart as some sort of revenge for KP and the British presses treatment of Meghan.
Just think, for a moment, if this ISN’T true, how much this absolutely sucks for the Cambridge family and even if you are so invested in these people to hate them – think how much this sucks for Rose Hanbury, a private citizen and (possibly) happily married mom.
William is terrible when he tries to handle his own PR. His savior is that the British tabloids tend to protect him or fear his legal lashings.
Letting the trolls have free reign on the KP accounts about Meghan, but having everything negative about himself removed? William used Harry for years, now he’s using Meghan to cover his own negative behavior. That is partly why this story isn’t going away, because his bad PR moves are obvious. Likely why HM and Charles okayed the mid-year move to BP for Harry and Meghan’s offices.
The treatment of DoS by the press has been reprehensible, but I don’t think the glee over this story is about revenge. It’s about sticking it to Kate, she was despised around these parts long before Megan arrived.
I don’t know about despised. Sure she has received a lot of (deserved) scorn here for her workshy attitude and her ability to take without giving, but very few actually find her despicable.
@Lady D, Agree with you 100%. Kate is not despicable at all.
Never thought Kate was ever behind throwing Meghan under the bus.
No one said Kate being work shy means she deserves to be cheated on. Not here anyway. People have pointed out that William has a long history of cheating on her while they were dating and that it would fit with what is known of his behaviour.
People can criticize her lack of work ethic and yet still feel bad that he’s cheating on her. And criticizing William’s awful PR strategy also doesn’t mean that people are gleeful that he may have cheated on Kate.
These comments trying to say that people here are gleeful about William cheating on Kate are simply false.
@Nic919 THANK YOU. I think actually most of us have said that we feel bad for Kate; even if she knew he wasn’t going to be faithful, cheating with a good friend who lives a few miles away is going to sting.
I can think Kate is fairly lazy, should work more, knew what she was getting with Wiliam, and STILL feel bad for her. Don’t we all see people in situations where we know they “know” whats going to happen, but still feel bad when it does actually happen?
Nic919 & Becks1, I could not agree with you more. No one is happy to see Cathy being cheated on by Bill.
With regards to Cathy’s work ethic, If you do not want to do Royal work, you should not marry a Royal has always been my position. Some people are cut out for Royal work and some people are NOT cut out for Royal Work.
I don’t think I’ve every seen anyone here say they hate Kate. They may hate her buttons, or her lack of work ethic, but as others have said, that doesn’t mean they hate her. The only hate I’ve seen is geared more towards the royal family as a whole and what they represent.
Some may like Meghan more than Kate, but (for me) that’s because she’s an American and she bagged Harry. 😉
It wasn’t just Coren, though. Sophie Money-Coutts heavily implied it in a reply (the one who is connected and wrote the article about the turnip toffs), and then deleted her tweet. So did a few other journalists. I saw the tweets myself, but I didn’t take a screen-shot.
It’s not Coren or even the tabloids that make me believe this is true—it’s the journalists who chimed in and then quickly deleted plus the legal letter and the complete lack of speculation on the tabs part.
I feel bad for Kate. I know most on here don’t like her, but I’ve always had a bit of sympathy. She seems like a simple sort who would have been happy with Pippa’s life, but fell in love (or was encouraged by Carole) with William and signed up for a life she’s not entirely suited for in the long run.
Sophie Money-Coutts is VERY VERY WELL CONNECTED,
It’s possible that rumors were actually circulating at some point,which would explain all the legal preventive action. And in this regard,she was basically saying that the “rural rivalry” gossip was hiding exactly those other rumors. But this doesn’t make those “rumors” true. And this is the point. We can’t even imagine what means to be in their position and the amount of gossip,malicious speculation these people attract on a regular basis. I even think the whole rural rivalry gossip was part of those rumors as well. And,obviously,it explains why a tabloid would run with that story,creating some sort of innuendo. They can’t be sued for a gossip about a non descript rural rivalry,but that starts a series of other rumors.
I’m getting so tired of the comments here claiming that people “desperately want this to be true” or “want to see the family broken up.” There is an enormous difference between believing it is true, and hoping it is just so the Cambridges are damaged. I’ve Ben following W&K for years and going by William’s history, I believe it happened. But that doesn’t mean I want his children’s lives destroyed FGS.
I have to think they’re either deliberately twisting criticism of the Cambridges into hate or they’re projecting. Yes, people get sharp in chastising Will and Kate. I don’t think most of them are rooting for a breakup.
On the other hand, since before the Sussexes got married, I’ve seen so many Cambridge fans gleefully predicting that they won’t last long, that Chelsy will become Harry’s Camilla, etc.. So in that sense, I do think some commenters are projecting things they’ve likely said about the Sussexes onto the rest of us.
It’s called gaslighting. The Dump administration does this. I made this same comment a few days ago and I will continue to point out the gaslighting until it stops.
No one is cackling in glee because William is a jerk. Longtime commenters would know that William’s poor behaviour has been criticized here for many years now.
@Nic, thank you. I think infidelity is disgusting and am in no way “gleeful” about this. I’m not Kate’s biggest fan but I feel terrible for her because no one deserves to be cheated on, and to have it be so public is atrocious.
What I’m upset about, and many others here are, is the fact that the papers protect William at all costs while trashing Meghan CONSTANTLY. And for everyone here shouting about how there’s no proof of the affair, okay, fine — where is the “proof” of all of the crap that’s been printed about Meghan for two years? The double standard is what is so wrong and infuriating.
Anyone demanding proof of William’s affair is a complete hypocrite as there was never a shred of proof of any of the garbage thrown at Meghan.
@Lorelei, EXACTLY!
I have some problems with some of the choices Meghan has made BUT the garbage thrown at Meghan has been to the point of no return. I hate the double standard being used to Judge Meghan when William seems to be using his Royal “Get Out of Jail Freed Card”.
Is it always gaslighting,though? I don’t think so. You have a point when you say that throwing around the “hate” excuse is often a way to deflect from fair criticism. But then it’s also true for the other couple. In any case we’re not talking about what they do as royals.
What you say may be true for you and some regular posters here,but it’s not really true for others. Commenting with things like “we have just to wait and everything will come out”, keeping track of what every third-tier gossip site publishes,clearly hoping that *finally* the “scandal” gains traction on major sites,is not even subtle. And let’s not talk about social media and what some “fans” write every single day.
I find their general situation intriguing. In pre-2019 articles about them, they’re both described as being unconventional or as having had a bit of a wild side before getting together. Hell, the story of how they married is weird. Engagement announcement, pregnancy announcement, and tying knot all within a week.
@Beach Dreams, I do not fine the Marquess & Marchioness of Cholmondeley that weird at all. David Cholmondeley had never been married, he needed a male heir, he was dating Rose Hanbury, she gets preggers, they get married, she gives birth to male twins (spare & Heir at same time), four years later they have daughter, they are living the live of wealthy English aristocracy and they seem to be very happy. I find nothing weird about their marriage story at all. Whatever the relationship Rose & David have, it seems to be a relationship they are both happy with.
What’s next is the Queen just gave Kate a special honor, probably for putting up with shit like this.
to whoever made the “rural juror” reference about this, probably weeks ago at this point — that was spot on! I cannot say rural rival clearly on the first try no matter what I do
I’ve read the Royal Foibles post. If this really how it went down, the only thing I can say is that both William and the marchioness are huge a§sh0le : the epitomy of entitlement.
By *phasing out”, was she referring to their societal circles or William’s bed? There was never going to be any phasing out of Rose – where to even begin with how ridiculous that idea was.
And this is what Kate coveted her whole adult life.
Good for her, she got her little pin from the queen. That ought to tide her over.
Seems like the former, as the initial reports said that she wanted both Rose and her husband phased out. The stories also emphasized how popular the Chumleys were in their turnip toff set, which is another “tell” IMO. Honestly, I can see Kate feeling like she had enough stature as the future King’s wife to pull such a move.
The articles said Kate’s rural rival Rose.
Kate wanted phased out.
The Kay article also said William and the husband Chumley were on good terms. And trying to make peace of the situation.
So the focus of the phase out was always Rose, in most articles.
^^Yes, the focus of the initial stories was Rose and the apparent nastiness of the fall-out with Kate. But the stories also stated that she wanted Will to find a way to phase out *both* Chumleys.
Eh, if your theory IS true, then Kate is new Diana. Cheated on and then bullied by the woman whom Heir cheated with?
If it’s true it’s awful and particularly disgusting bc it would mean william is doing the same thing to his wife that his father did ti his mother-and William has himself seen how unhappy and miserable Diana was bc of it.
IDK, if this is all true, then I’m on Kate’s side and this is truly despicable-to isolate someone bc she doesn’t want to abide by 16th century aristo-rulebook even in their marriage-is totaly despicable.
We don’t know what agreement Kate and Will have. Maybe she agreed to affairs as long as she wasn’t personally embarrassed. Maybe she’s allowed to have fun with one of her personal trainers or workout partners. Diana had multiple affairs herself while calling out Charles for his cheating. Will cheated on Kate before marriage; in fact, he cheated with her when they started dating. Why would Kate expect him to change once the ring was on her finger?
Excellent points.
And it’s a little different. Charles cheated with his one true love who he later married. With Willy, I get The impression he is not in love, merely enjoying the fling just because he can.
It was not Rose but someone closer to Will nad Kate (ask yourselfs why Harry was apart from ale RF during QE Church service).
tumblr misses you.
Why do you stalk people and post these things? Does Celebitchy know you’re policing their threads?
They allowed the comment to be posted so I’m pretty sure they do.
There are plenty of fora out there for people to blame Meghan and Harry for making William’s affair public based on zero evidence that Harry even knows these people.
It’s one thing to have a discussion if the rumour is true and we see regular posters here make those comments in a sensible way. But the crazy “Meghan is to blame” stuff always comes from new names not seen before. I know royal dish has banned all mention of Harry and Meghan so they come here to try to start something.
My question was aimed at Nota, who followed a poster through an entire thread repeating, “Hi Skippy”. But you seem to be implying that new posters are only welcome if they have a certain opinion, and if they don’t it’s acceptable to harass them. Maybe that’s not what you meant, but it’s certainly implied.
“But the crazy “Meghan is to blame” stuff always comes from new names not seen before. I know royal dish has banned all mention of Harry and Meghan so they come here to try to start something. ”
Yep.
I think you have to be wearing some thick rose tinted glasses to think he wasn’t cheating. The guy has been a wondering willy since they got together at St Andrews. However, we also know that Kate is not about to divorce him anytime soon; she knows where her bread is buttered.
Also, the timing of the Queen’s announcement is…interesting.
Yes. If your partner is regularly cheating on you while you are dating then a marriage certificate probably won’t make him/ her change their ways. There are always exceptions I guess, but I’ve seen this scenario play out way too many times.
“Rose” tinted glasses? 😉
I think that post of the Royal Foibles is terrifying. The degree of arrogance that the aristos such as Rose display is amazing. Basically,I understand that no matter what they do to Kate, they are there to stay, she is just an aristo wannabe.
She will only have power the moment she becomes Queen and that moment is not near and even then, the power will come through bratty William.
I think Kate is just starting to get a feel of what she got herself involved. IMO this won’t be the only time Rose-like aristos will humiliate her in public.
She was desperate to be in that circle from the very beginning, though, wasn’t she?
Her mother too and almost more so IMHO.
As the old saying goes….Be careful what you wish for!
Preach!
Ugh I had a long post and it disappeared.
Basically, I don’t understand the thought that “William would NEVER cheat.” I just don’t think we can say that about anybody (including Harry….I don’t think Harry would cheat right now, but who knows what happens in the future?) People cheat for a variety of reasons and its rarely as simple as “I’m attracted to someone else” (although for William it could be.)
That said, Rose leaking this story makes sense, because she leaked juuuuust enough for people to start sniffing. and if the artisto circle is generally as closed off as this article implies, then it makes sense that no one else is going to talk. Rose has much less to lose by leaking this than William does. And its not confirmed, but now its out there.
Back when this story first broke, about phasing out and rural rivals, a commenter, who’s around only very very occasionally, said their ex-flatmate was close to someone at KP, and the story was, Rose had loose lips; the KP person didn’t know what she said, but when it got back to Kate, Kate went ballistic.
Maybe reliable info, maybe, not, but it stuck in my mind.
That is one theory. The affair/s weren’t with Rose, but Rose and her husband knew about them and covered for William. Much as the Van Cutsems did for Charles and Camilla. Didn’t bother William as he’s close friends with the Van Cutsem son and houses his family at Anmer Hall where Charles and Camilla had their meetups.
The big question is rather or not William is in love with Rose and if the feeling is mutual. If it’s love, it’s not over. If it was a fling they can overcome if Kate wants it…thus the Queen giving Kate a huge honor. With all of that said and done, William is an A-hole and will cheat again….like all the other A-hole cheaters
Maybe this is an unpopular opinion but I feel bad for Kate. Before Megan, she was constantly tortured by the media – too thin, too ugly, too lazy, too waity. Even if these things are true, they were RELENTLESS. And now, with this affair, if it’s true, here they are throwing it all in her face. I so wish that she had to guts to just get up and leave like Diana, and let the Royal Family be seen as who they really are. William should be ashamed – not just cheating, but while his wife was PREGNANT. Disgusting, just like his old dirty father.
@Dani, I don’t think it’s an unpopular opinion— I’ve seen tons of people here say how sorry they feel for Kate, myself included. Whether it’s true or not, it’s humiliating for her.
William…is another story. I do not feel one shred of sympathy for him and I think his gross, entitled behavior should be exposed. If he did have an affair, he doesn’t deserve to be protected like this. And we know that SOMETHING happened in order for him to run to his lawyers so quickly.
I disagree. I mean, I feel sorry for Kate if she’s hurt by William cheating on her. But she’s been treated with kid gloves for MUCH of her time in the royal family. Even before Meghan, it was “she’s had the hardest pregnancies ever” “look how quickly she bounced back from pregnancy” etc. Maybe more in England, but in the US press, she was rarely called out for her lack of work ethic.
I predict they won’t last. William has looked miserable for years. I don’t think they ever had a great love, but rather convenience. He will leave her. I will be shocked if they are together in 10 years time.
I don’t think someone who has the personality to look the other way during courtship is the type of person to suddenly grow a backbone and demand equal treatment and respect in marriage. It’s a lot more likely Kate looks away hard and it takes a toll on her. Children are a good distraction. Their love and affection can be so healing. Makes sense she seems happiest with them.
IIRC Kate didn’t look the other way at the beginning even thou she was the other girl when they first met. She had a backbone then but he kept dumping her ever time she confronted him about it so she learned that if she want to stay in his life she had to look the other way. I have seen this happen with others and it does take a toll on the mental health of the person looking away.
No matter how many times he’s caught he will continue to do it – there is a massive sense of entitlement with serial cheaters.
William learned from his father. Charles kept details of his relationship with his butler, Michael Fawcett, out of the press by bullying legal tactics too. To this day Michael is firmly in Charles’ circle (as a party planner but William would not allow him to plan anything for his wedding!). While we learned from her biographer, that Camilla just has dinner with Charles M-Th, but always retreats to her home at night, and most especially the weekends…
Wait, what?! There are rumors that Charles is gay? I’ve been following the BRF for decades and have never heard this before. Go on…
Yes, Please go on……
That rumor has been out there for years, that Charles likes “variety”. Supposedly this was a common practice at one of those all boy prep schools he attended. Who knows if this is true and I doubt if it will ever be proven.
Sharon Lea It is just not possible that Camilla goes “home” every night. Apart from the comment being absurd (what was the point of their marrying) her own home is near Highgrove, two hours out in the Gloucestershire countryside. I have no doubt they spend some weekends apart but they are also at their Scottish home on the Balmoral estate a fair bit sometimes with Camilla’s sister. I would also not be surprised if Charles had dabbled with the other side as John and Bobby Kennedy were both reputed to have done, but there is no way he would have had the long time relationship with Camilla which he did or “that” telephone conversation, if he was mainly gay.
Even if William is/was cheating, Kate will never leave him. Her entire life has been focused on “landing” him, and I don’t think she or her family will tolerate her NOT becoming queen one day, or all those decades go to waste. However, I can see William leaving Kate, when he realizes their marriage, while very convenient for him, doesn’t satisfy him. Because it’s always all about him.
Even the affair is boring. I want my gossip to be interesting and titillating, after dealing with job, kid, significant other, trump, traffic, dishes, etc I want a good escape. So nope, no shame about coming to a gossip site for the good stuff.
This…..is not the “good stuff.”
Now if it was Rose and Kate that were having the affair, and William was grinning and bearing it to not be like his parents, and a bit offended he couldn’t join in….or if a third person is suspected of having a recording of some sort of Rose and Kate….that the order Kate received today was bribery to keep it all on the down low and now William is blowing the inheritance from his mother to keep it as quiet as it can be kept….
Then that would be awesome.
Because I don’t know these people, I never will. I just come here to be entertained.
Tinfoil Hat theory, adjust dial to low.
David Rocksavage Cholmondeley is/was a film maker so maybe there was a third person who recorded some sort of tape of Rose and Kate doing what Turnip Toffs do when no one is around looking and this third person REFUSED to allow Bill Cambridge to be part of the film crew????? I need to get a job writing comments for the Daily Fail as I think I would be good at it.
Ooh I like it. So much better than what is probably the truth, how was it phrased above? Oh yes, “Three slices of plain cheese on stale white bread, with a wee pickle on the side” (thank you Chef Grace!). Yawn. I can get that from office gossip.
Just to say the Queen Mother is from an aristocratic family. Her father was the Earl of Strathmore and she was Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon before her marriage. The royal family are at the head of the aristocracy. It was not until 1917 that the royals in Britain were even given permission to marry the aristocracy. Before that they were only allowed to marry other royals. The current Queen’s father, George VI, was of the first generation able to marry aristocracy. Royals way ahead of aristocracy, always bearing in mind Kate is not a blood royal or a blood aristocratic.
Sorry for writing again. I think the whole point of the dad dancing is being missed. As far as I can gather part of Wiliam being away that
weekend was to take the attention of the press away from Kate who was at Pippa’s secret hen weekend somewhere else abroad the very same weekend. Rather than being mad at William, Kate was probably delighted with him.
I’m sure she was thrilled with him flirting with other women out in the open. And who was watching the kids? Would hands on mother Kate really want her kids left alone by both parents on the same weekend? Most parents actually coordinate that one stays back for the kids so it shows how hypocritical they are about the whole “must stay at home for the kids” excuse to not work.
A little more good insight from Royal Foibles in answer to a comment about whether Met leaked it: “The Daily Mail’s had it in for Meghan from day 1!!!! If anything, those barbs were more a reflection of their writers’ prejudices toward her, and the prejudices of the hide bound, ultra conservative Buck House courtiers who are, from my understanding, the source of most of their insider info. While William’s rumored to have been less than enthusiastic about Harry marrying Meghan, I’ve heard and read he has no personal issues with her, and vice versa. The real problem between the couples concerns long standing problems between the 2 brothers, and actually has nothing to do with their wives, who appear distant, but cordial toward each other. Mind you, they had that one little spat before the wedding, but supposedly Kate admitted to Meg she was experiencing a mild form of post partum depression, and they apologized to each other. Meghan’s real enemies aren’t her in-laws. Her real enemies are the Queen’s courtiers.”
I had to smile when I got to the mention of the Royal Foibles blog in this article. If there is one thing that I can reliably take as a given about this whole tempest in a Royal teapot is that Royal Foibles should never be read for anything other than entertainment value.
Several years ago while researching a historical article I ran across that little blog and as someone with a longtime interest in European history, began reading first with glee, then confusion,and then finally with much hilarity. The author has never found a rumor so outrageous, a story so outlandish and a tale of gossip so ridiculous that he or she could not embellish it.
I have read every post (Don’t judge insomnia sends all of us down some might strange rabbit holes.) and I can only say his fevered imagination gets the better of him…often.
Check out his blog on King Philip of Belgium’s status as a presurgical trans forced by his father to grow a beard. Or the one on various European royalty’s secret club involving devil worship, pedophilia and Ritual sacrifice of infants. Or many, many others that wouldn’t even past muster on a fan fiction site.
Whatever has sparked the latest wave of British Royal bashing, that Blog has no reliable insider information and is just trying to put the worst possible connotation on unsubstantiated gossip that they can.
What is this reference about Prince William having an affair with a banker? Does anyone have any details? Also, didn’t know PW cheated on his then girlfriend when he first started dating Kate- again would love to know the details.
To baytampabay,
Curious, why do you call Will and Kate, Bill and Cathy?
Guess the apple didn’t fall too far from that rotten ass tree.
I don’t get the attraction. William looks like a pair of loafers in human form. Craving Spam when he’s got prime rib at home – just like dear ol’ dad.