Prince William - Rose Hanbury Affair Rumors Quietly Erased by UK Media

Rumors of an affair between Prince William and British noblewoman Sarah Rose Hanbury have swirled since 2019. 

Now, a recent investigation by Vulture suggests that British media outlets have quietly deleted or modified mentions of the alleged affair. 

This move raises questions about the influence and power of the royal family over the press.

The Vulture investigation, led by royal correspondent Ellie Hall, meticulously pieced together a timeline showing how news stories about the rumored affair have been erased or significantly altered. 

This timeline spans from the emergence of the rumors in 2019 to as recently as March 2024. 

The stories in question appeared in prominent British publications, including tabloids such as The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express, and The Mirror, as well as the high-society magazine Tatler.

The articles ranged from speculative opinion pieces to aggregated news stories, discussing everything from Hanbury being a potential romantic "contender" for Prince William to alleged tension between Hanbury and Kate Middleton. 

Some articles suggested that Kate viewed Hanbury as a "rival," leading to an apparent falling out. Despite these dramatic claims, the stories have since been taken down or heavily revised.

Interestingly, some of the deleted or updated articles can still be accessed in their original form through the Internet's WayBack Machine, providing a glimpse into the information that was initially reported. 

Hanbury, through her lawyers, has consistently denied the affair rumors, calling them "completely false" in a March email to Business Insider.

The investigation also notes that it is unclear whether the media outlets made these changes at the request of representatives for Prince William or Hanbury. 

The only publication to issue a statement to Vulture was The Guardian, which explained that it removed a reference to a joke made by talk-show host Stephen Colbert about the affair rumors. 

The Guardian stated that the adjustment was made "after internal editorial consideration and not following external outreach."

Other publications, Kensington Palace, and representatives for Hanbury did not immediately respond to Vulture’s requests for comment. 

This silence adds another layer of mystery to the already complex narrative.

Sarah Rose Hanbury has long-standing connections to the royal family. 

Her maternal grandmother was one of Queen Elizabeth II's bridesmaids, and in 2019, Hanbury became a noblewoman after marrying David Cholmondeley, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley. 

Hanbury’s ties to the royal family, coupled with her proximity to Prince William and Kate Middleton, have fueled the rumors. 

The couple was briefly neighbors with the Cholmondeleys, living just a 10-minute drive away at Amner Hall in Norfolk before making Windsor Castle their primary residence.

The Daily Beast reported that following the initial spread of rumors in 2019, lawyers representing Prince William issued a warning to "at least one British publication," asserting that covering the gossip was "false and highly damaging" and would infringe upon his privacy in line with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. 

This article protects an individual's "private and family life," with exceptions only in cases of public safety or the rights and freedoms of others.

While the rumors have ebbed and flowed over the years, they recently gained renewed attention when Stephen Colbert dedicated part of his opening monologue on the March 12 episode of "The Late Show" to speculate on the alleged affair. 

The timing coincided with Kate Middleton's months-long absence from public appearances, which she later attributed to her cancer diagnosis and treatment, rather than any personal scandal.

The quiet erasure of these affair rumors by UK media highlights the ongoing tension between the public's right to know and the privacy of high-profile individuals. 

It also underscores the significant influence the royal family wields over the British press. 

As the narrative continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how these revelations will impact public perception of Prince William and the royal family.