Rose Hanbury. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Louis Vuitton
Rose Hanbury isn’t the only member of her family with connections to the British royal family.
Rose, full name Sarah Rose Hanbury, is one of her parents Timothy and Emma Hanbury’s two daughters along with her older sister, Marina. She took on the title of The Marchioness of Cholmondeley after tying the knot with her husband, David Cholmondeley, in 2009.
Rose shares three children with the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, who is 23 years her senior: twin sons Alexander and Oliver, and daughter Iris.
Years before she made headlines for having an alleged affair with Prince William (a rumor she has since denied), Rose worked as a model as well as a researcher for U.K. politician Michael Gove. Rumors began to swirl in 2019 that William cheated on his wife, Princess Kate, with Rose. Royal expert Omid Scobie claimed in his 2023 book, Endgame, that Kensington Palace “pulled out all the stops” to bury the cheating speculation.
Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton’s relationship hasn’t always been a fairy tale due to family drama, speculative rumors and more. William and Kate met in 2001 when they were both students at the University of St Andrews. Despite a brief breakup six years later, William and Kate reconciled before getting engaged in 2010. They […]
Rose, for her part, denied the affair claims in March 2024. “The rumors are completely false,” her lawyers allegedly told Business Insider at the time.
Keep scrolling to get to know Rose Hanbury’s family:
Timothy Hanbury
Rose’s father, who reportedly works as a website designer, tied the knot with his wife, Emma, in the 1980s. He made headlines in May 2023 after not being allowed to board a Ryanair flight from Stansted Airport in Essex due to an old passport. Multiple outlets reported that Timothy was not permitted on the flight because his passport was more than 10 years old, which went against new European Travel regulations put in place after Brexit in 2020.
Emma Hanbury
Rose’s mother worked as a fashion designer but later switched her focus to interior design. “Emma Hanbury has been styling interiors in London and the country for many years, often just re-using and re-arranging the existing contents,” her website states. “She also themes private and corporate dinner parties and events.”
Emma has a close connection to Queen Elizabeth II as her mother, Lady Elizabeth Longman, was a close friend of the late monarch. Lady Elizabeth even served as one of Elizabeth’s bridesmaids at her 1947 wedding to Prince Philip.
Marina Hanbury
Much like her sister, Marina married into aristocracy. She tied the knot with Edward Lambton, 7th Earl of Durham, who is 21 years her senior, in 2011. The two have since welcomed three kids together. Rose reportedly first met her now-husband at the home of Lord Lambton, who would later become Marina’s father-in-law.
David Cholmondeley
Rose and her husband welcomed their twin sons, Alexander Hugh George Cholmondeley, Earl of Rocksavage and Lord Oliver Timothy George Cholmondeley, the same year they said “I do.” Their family expanded with the addition of their daughter, Lady Iris Marina Aline Cholmondeley, in 2016.
David formerly served as the Lord Great Chamberlain from 1990 to 2022 before being replaced by Lord Rupert Carrington, 7th Baron Carrington. He was, however, appointed as King Charles III’s Lord-in-Waiting following his May 2023 coronation. Outside of royal life, David also works as a filmmaker and has directed movies such as Shadows in the Sun and Other Voices, Other Rooms.
Rose and David’s son Oliver played a notable part in Charles’ coronation by serving as one of the monarch’s Pages of Honor alongside William and Kate’s eldest son, Prince George.
