Is Kate Middleton, Like Princess Diana, A ‘Royal Victim’ Of A ‘Cheating’ Husband?

Royal fans and gossipmongers alike are fired up with recent rumors of Prince William’s alleged affair with Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, and Kate Middleton’s longtime friend.

Could Kate be the next Princess Diana? This is speculated as tabloids and social media are buzzing with news that Prince William is rumored to be having an affair with Hanbury, a 35-year-old socialite and former model.

The rumor of the alleged tryst skyrocketed when reports got around that Kate asked husband William to “freeze” Hanbury and her husband, David Cholmondeley, out of their social group. It is well known that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are neighbors with Hanbury and her family in Norfolk.

This alleged fallout between the Duchess of Cambridge and Hanbury sparked controversy, but the media is quick to point out that Kensington Palace has argued that the reports are “inaccurate” and that both Kate and Hanbury are said to have considered taking legal actions to end the rumors.

However, these legal actions are seen by some celebrity gossip columns as more reason to consider the possibility of a real affair. Reporter Elaine “Lainey” Lui, founder and editor of Lainey Gossip and considered by CNN as one of Canada's top celebrity and pop culture experts, analyzed the Palace’s eyebrow-raising attempts at quelling the rumors.

“As you know, royals don’t usually try to shut down every rumour. Typically they try to ride it out,” she said in her online column. “[B]ecause if it’s just a story about two women not getting along anymore, like how Kate and Meghan allegedly haven’t been getting along, why bother with the lawyers?” she even added.

The latest talk of the Twitter town, however, is that it was Hanbury who made up the rumor, as posted by StyleCaster, making the rumors of the affair even more dubious.

This is all the more reason why Kate should not be compared to Princess Diana as a victim of a cheating husband — yet. William’s alleged affair with Hanbury is still very much a rumor up until now. On the other hand, Prince Charles in June 1994 famously admitted to the public his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, which Diana already knew about, spurring public backlash against Charles until his and Diana’s fairytale marriage eventually crumbled.