Truly, a bold move. Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, was spotted heading into the state banquet at Buckingham Palace on June 3 as one of the last guests in attendance. The marchioness’ attendance wouldn’t be anything to blink at usually, but royal watchers know that the former model is the woman is Kate Middleton‘s formerly close friend — and the woman Prince William is rumored to have had an affair with. In other words, Rose is the last person people thought they would see at Buckingham Palace. To be fair, Rose was all but contractually required to attend the dinner. Her husband David, the Marquess of Cholmondeley and Lord Great Chamberlain, is a fixture at state ceremonies and banquets. It’s his constitutional duty.
Despite being one of the 170 people invited to the event by the royals, Rose was one of the last guests in the procession into the dining hall. That’s not of her doing. The processional order is predetermined, and she was placed at the end of the line. Some subtle shade? She also didn’t walk into the dinner with her husband. Instead, she was side-by-side with Sarah Vine, a columnist for The Daily Mail who is known for controversial posts about women like Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. As in, Kate and William’s new sister-in-law. It’s possible that Sarah and Rose were paired together, considering other attendees were. Kate walked with US Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin, for example, which definitely wasn’t her first pick. Did the royal family purposely pair Sarah and Rose as a subtle shoutout?
Rose’s seat placement at the dinner was also interesting, our sister site, SheKnows, pointed out. Most, if not all couples at the banquet were separated from each other. But, Rose is at the same table as William (albeit the other end), and Kate is on the other side of the hall.
Rumors started in March that Kate had a “falling out” with Rose, her neighbor and good friend. The reason? Rose and William allegedly had an affair while Kate was pregnant with Prince Louis, who is now one. The rumor is unfounded, an as a palace insider told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY after it started, William and Kate are standing strong and hoping Rose comes out of this unscathed, too. “It doesn’t just hurt them; they are very concerned for Rose,” the source said. “She’s a married woman with children, and she’s not used to this kind of public scrutiny. She’s a friend of not only Kate’s but also the entire family, so this is upsetting for everyone.”