To fully understand what’s going on with the salacious royal rumors du jour, it’s important to understand who Kate’s “rural rival” Rose Hanbury actually is. According to The sun, Hanbury is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, which is, for some inexplicably British reason, pronounced “Chumley.” How do so many silent letters exist in a word? According to The cut, a Marchioness is the wife of a Marquess, which is an aristocratic title ranking slightly below Duke. In other words, if the rumors are true, Hanbury indeed punched up — but how close is she actually to Middleton?
Hanbury is part of Kate and Wills’ Norfolk friends group dubbed the “Turnip Toffs.” The Toffs are basically the UK real-life reboot of Dynasty based on their sheer amount of wealth and drama potential. Hanbury is a former model who made headlines for posing in a bikini next to former prime minister Tony Blair. Her husband David Rocksavage, an Eton-educated former filmmaker 23 years her senior, inherited an estate worth an estimated £112 million. They’re mega-rich and have floated closely in royal circles for generations. Hanbury’s grandmother was a bridesmaid at the Queen’s wedding, and Hanbury herself was voted best-dressed at Kate and Wills’ royal nuptials.
According to The Sun, the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley live in a 106-room mansion three-and-a-half miles away from Kate and Wills’ Anmer Hall residence, and their kids are playmates. Does a stronger bond exist between parents of high society?
