Palace Allegedly Employed Extensive Measures to Discredit Prince William Affair Speculations

Prince William. Karwai Tang/WireImage

Kensington Palace made efforts to dispel rumors of Prince William's affair, as detailed in Omid Scobie's recent book. According to the royal expert, the palace went to great lengths to quash a 2019 story alleging William's infidelity with Rose Hanbury, a former friend of Princess Kate Middleton. The author also revealed that the palace's press secretary, Christian Jones, reportedly offered The Sun other royal-related stories in exchange for discontinuing coverage of the rumors.

Hanbury is married to David Cholmondeley, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, and has been a close friend of William and Kate for a long time. Neither William, Kate, nor Hanbury have publicly addressed the rumors. A family friend of Middleton shared with Us at the time that Kate "finds the rumors hurtful, obviously, and hates the thought that one day her children will be able to read about them online."

The rumors have seemingly strained the trio's friendship over the years, as they have distanced themselves. Hanbury was, however, seen at Prince Philip’s 2021 memorial service. Her 13-year-old son, Lord Oliver, also played a role as a page of honor at the coronation of William's father, King Charles III, in May. (Oliver joined Prince George, William and Kate’s eldest child, as one of the four pages.)

Just two days after the book was released, Scobie admitted that he approached the topic in the book very thoughtfully. "I felt it was crucial to mention, even if it's just a rumor," he told Entertainment Tonight on Thursday, November 30. "I really don't have any evidence to suggest that there's more to it than just gossip, you know."

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Scobie observed that the bond between William and Kate is unwavering, with the couple continuing to collaborate seamlessly. The book reveals that William holds immense admiration for his wife's achievements as a prominent working member of the royal family.

Scobie's book continues to grab attention in the media, but the royal family, including William and Kate, have chosen to stay silent. According to a source, William has kept quiet because he believes that giving the book more attention will only fuel the frenzy it has created. The insider also mentioned that William sees the book as a malicious depiction of the monarchy and does not want to publicize untrue and hurtful stories about his family.

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Kate and William have dedicated a lot of their time to their royal duties, forcing them to make their relationship a top priority. According to a second source, the Prince and Princess of Wales experience the same ups and downs in their marriage as anyone else, but they are focused on being a united front as they navigate new responsibilities following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

A third insider shared that the passing of William's grandmother had a deep impact on both him and Kate, and that they have struggled through a tough year. Despite this, it has been widely acknowledged that William and Kate have shown remarkable strength in the face of adversity.