Rose Hanbury is denying that she had an affair with Prince William amid rampant conspiracy theories regarding the whereabouts of Kate Middleton.
The 40-year-old former British model -- born Sarah Rose Hanbury -- recently released a statement to Business Insider through her lawyers, denying any and all impropriety between herself and the royal, who is next in line to the British throne.
"The rumors are completely false," Hanbury's lawyers told the outlet.
Kensington Palace, meanwhile, has repeatedly denied commenting on the rumors about an alleged affair between William, 41, and the Marchioness of Cholmondeley.
Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley attends a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey on March 29, 2022 in London, England
Hanbury's name has been thrown around in recent weeks both on social media by those looking into "Katespiracy" -- the nickname given to the search for the absent Princess of Wales, 42 -- and by big-name celebrities and media organizations resurfacing theories about a forbidden amour from the late 2010s.
Most notably, she was recently catapulted into the spotlight after Stephen Colbert name-dropped her during his opening monologue last week. On his show, Colbert, 59, was discussing Kate's sudden disappearance after the holidays -- which the palace has attributed to recovery from a January abdominal surgery -- when he called out the Hanbury theory.
"The kingdom has been all aflutter by the seeming disappearance of Kate Middleton. Well now, internet sleuths are guessing that Kate’s absence may be related to her husband and the future king of England, William, having an affair," the late-night comedian said during the March 12 episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
"I think we all know who the alleged other woman is, say it with me, The Marchioness of Cholmondeley," Colbert continued. "Now there have been rumors of an affair between William and [Hanbury] since 2019. According to tabloids, back then, when Kate supposedly confronted him about it, he 'laughed it off, saying there was nothing to it.' Aha, always a good response when your wife accuses you of cheating."
Rose Hanbury and Prince William in a split photo
Rumors and speculation have only since spiraled since Colbert's not-so-subtle reference to the wife of David Rocksavage, the 63-year-old Marquess of Cholmondeley. Together, they share three children, twins Alexander and Oliver, 14, and Iris, 8.
The Cholmondeley family runs in the same inner circle as William and Kate, with Oliver even serving as a Page of Honor at the coronation of William's father, King Charles III, in May 2023. Photos from the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the event show the young boy smiling and waving next to the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as their eldest son, 10-year-old Prince George. Kate and William also share Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, Prince Louis, Prince William, Page of Honour Ralph Tollemache, Prince George, and Page of Honour Lord Oliver Cholmondeley
When Kensington Palace first reported that the Princess of Wales had undergone a procedure, they shared that she would most likely not return to her duties as a senior royal family member until at least Easter (March 31). The Palace also noted that they would only be providing an update on the princess' condition if it was "significant."
Spooked by the sudden and uncommon lack of photos, however, the public immediately began sharing their concerns and speculating wildly about Kate's true location and status.
Theories have ranged from bizarre (Kate is on this season of The Masked Singer) to hilarious (the Princess of Wales got bangs and she's just growing them out) to more serious and sinister theories ranging from a royal divorce or a death being covered up. It's important to note that the Palace has refused to give any legitimacy to these theories and maintains that she is simply taking her time recovering before returning to work.
In a follow-up statement following the initial murmurs of "Katespiracy," Kensington Palace reiterated to ET the message of privacy amid her recovery.
"We gave guidance two days ago that the Princess of Wales continues to be doing well," the Feb. 29 statement read. "As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates."
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, is currently recovering after an abdominal surgery she underwent in January
The speculation hit another level earlier this month after Kensington Palace shared a sweet Mother's Day post of Kate and her three children, only for fans to quickly spot and point out some obvious signs of Photoshop and picture manipulation. The photo was even given a rare kill order by the Associated Press after the fact.
In a statement the next day, Kate copped to altering the photo and apologized for any confusion the photo and the amateur Photoshop job created.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day," she wrote in a statement posted to X.
In recent weeks, the Princess of Wales has become more visible, making several outings including one with her mother, Carole Middleton, in which she is seen in the passenger seat of a black SUV.
An eyewitness told ET at the time that Kate and her mother were photographed in their vehicle around 9 a.m. just outside London. "The princess was low-key, looking out the window as her mother paid attention to the road," the eyewitness said.
Just days later, Kate was spotted in the car with her husband on her way to an appointment near their home in Windsor, England.
Additionally, she was seen out and about on March 16, visiting a farm shop with William a mile from their home, as seen in video footage obtained by TMZ. She appeared to be smiling and happy as she and her husband strolled around the Windsor Farm Shop.
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