Rose Hanbury Reportedly Sends Legal Letter to Stephen Colbert Over Affair Joke
Last week's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert prompted Hanbury to reportedly pursue legal action againt the TV host.
Rose Hanbury is reportedly ready to pursue legal measures to squash the rumors suggesting she had an affair with Prince William. In Touch magazine reports that Hanbury's legal representatives issued a formal notice to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after Colbert jokingly referenced rumors of her alleged infidelity with William in 2019, connecting it to speculation about Princess Kate Middleton's whereabouts during her recovery from surgery.
“Internet sleuths are guessing that Kate’s absence may be related to her husband and the future King of England, William, having an affair,” Colbert said during the closing minutes of an episode from last week. “I think we all know who the alleged other woman is, say it with me, The Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Now there have been rumors of an affair between William and [Rose] 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.”
The TV host's remarks regarding the rumored affair surfaced days after The Independent published an article delving into Hanbury's family history and connections to the British royal family. The article mentions the ties Hanbury's family has with the British royal family. Hanbury's grandmother was one of Queen Elizabeth II's bridesmaids during her wedding, and Hanbury herself has reportedly been present at various royal events. Notably, her son participated as one of the Pages of Honor alongside Prince George during King Charles III's coronation and was sat beside Prince Harry at the 2017 state banquet held at Buckingham Palace. This recent coverage of Hanbury on TV and various news outlets adds fire to the fuel of these affair rumors.
Previously, Hanbury's legal team refuted any allegations of Hanbury having an affair with The Prince of Wales in a statement provided to Business Insider earlier this month. When the speculation initially arose, neither Hanbury nor Wales's addressed the rumors.
“The rumor appears to have entered the mainstream media recently as a result of another joke made about it on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Hanbury’s lawyers said in a statement. “We have written on our client’s behalf to CBS and various other reputable media organizations to confirm that the allegation is false.”
