MARCHIONESS Rose Hanbury is reportedly a close friend to the royal family, living just a few miles next door to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The former model and Tory researcher rose to prominence after posing in a pink bikini next to Tony Blair on his holiday. Here’s everything you need to know.
Who is Rose Hanbury?
Rose Hanbury is the Marchioness of Cholmondeley and is the daughter of Timothy Hanbury, a website designer, and Emma Hanbury, a fashion designer.
She was a boarder at the prestigious Stowe School, before completing an Open University degree.
Rose went on to become a fashion model in her 20s when she reportedly had a contract with Storm – the agency which discovered Kate Moss.
She first came to national attention in 2005 when she and her elder sister Marina – both wearing pink bikinis – posed alongside a grinning Tony Blair.
Rose also previously worked as a political researcher for Tory MP Michael Gove.
Is Rose Hanbury married?
Rose married David Rocksavage, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, in 2009.
The pair first met on holiday in Italy in 2003 and were wed at Chelsea Town Hall in 2009 after a very brief engagement.
According to Hello, “in June 2009 the couple announced their engagement, the next day it was revealed they were expecting and just a day later they tied the knot.”
David is a descendent of Sir Robert Walpole and is also related to the Rothschild and Sassoon families.
The couple has twin boys, Alexander, Earl of Rocksavage and Oliver, Lord Cholmondeley, and daughter Lady Iris.
The boys are reportedly playmates of Prince George.
There is a 23-year age gap between the couple.
The couple is worth an estimated £112 million.
How does Rose Hanbury know Prince William and Kate Middleton?
Hanbury lives in Houghton Hall, Norfolk, alongside her family and husband.
The property was built in the 1700s for Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, is located just a few miles away from Will and Kate’s home, Anmer Hall.
Given their proximity to one another the couples reportedly run in the same social circle.
The pair’s warm greetings to each other at a gala in 2016 confirmed their tight-knit relationship, as Hanbury later attended the banquet in honour of President Trump’s state visit to the U.K. and was seated somewhat near William and Kate.
In January of 2020, she was photographed at church in Sandringham with the Cambridges, where she was crowned the best-dressed guest at the royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The two couples are thought to have regularly double-dated and are both patrons of the East Anglia Children’s Hospice.
Rose’s grandmother and namesake Lady Rose Lambert was a bridesmaid in Queen Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip, further cementing her connection to the royal family.
