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And the coverup that is trending on Twitter.
By Amy Lamare — Written on Dec 30, 2021
While rumors of a Prince William affair with a woman named Rose Hanbury have been circulating for years, you may not have heard anything about it.
It turns out there may be a reason for that, as reports that the Royal Family hired lawyers to have all mentions of an alleged affair legally squashed have surfaced once again.
Is there any family or person anywhere who is as scrutinized as Will, Kate, Harry, and Meghan? The British press is fueled by their famous tabloids and I'm pretty sure not a day goes by where one or more of the royal family isn't the main story.
Today, it's Will and Kate and that pesky and lingering rumor that he cheated on her while she was pregnant with their third child, Prince Louis.
Royal watchers and followers seem pretty convinced this transgression actually occurred and are hopping mad about it. And oddly, Meghan Markle is being defended, for once after years of media torment.
So let's get to the bottom of these rumors.
Did Prince William cheat on Kate Middleton with Rose Hanbury?
The rumor that Prince William cheated on Kate Middleton with Rose Hanbury has been around for a while.
Some think he had an affair with Rose Hanbury, a married friend of Kate's and part of their social circle.
Fans and royal watchers aren't having it with this rumor and are pretty mad at Will. They are taking it out on the prince online with a surprising twist; they're coming to the defense of Meghan Markle.
The press has been dragging her through the mud for any number of things: having a baby shower, wanting privacy surrounding the birth of her first child, or even just smiling the wrong way.
I mean, let's face it: if Meghan Markle unknowingly stepped on an ant it would turn into a national scandal with the press calling her a murderer. Meanwhile, Prince William is largely treated as a saint who can do no wrong.
Reports suggest the Palace has worked to cover up the affair.
Another side of the controversy claims that because this rumor is so unsubstantiated and unreported by the usually rabid British press, that it must be true.
After all, every detail and misstep of Meghan Markle's life is covered in numerous press outlets, but there isn't a peep about this long-standing rumor that Prince William cheated on Kate Middleton?
Royal watchers say that this is a sure sign of the royal family's tight grip on and control over the press — and may even be due to legal action.
In 2019, The Daily Beast reported that "at least one British publication has been served with legal warnings."
According to former Daily Beast Editor-in-Chief and current Rolling Stone Editor in Chief Noah Shachtman, around the time these rumors surfaced, Prince William's lawyers were "scrambling to suppress reports of his affairs, claiming publications are violating his 'human rights.'"
Independent journalist Alex Tiffin reignited rumors of the alleged affair and ensuing "super injunction."
"No amount of legal pressure is going to erase the fact Prince William had an affair with Rose Hanbury," he tweeted in response to a Daily Mail editor's tweet about Harry and Meghan, alleging that there is sufficient proof of an affair.
"Multiple UK news outlets have had evidence of the affair and his other comments, some even spoke of them on this site before legal threats saw them delete," he wrote. "A Royal shouldn't be afforded extra protection from scrutiny than any other public figure."
The idea of the Royal Family obtaining a super injunction, or a court order that prevents the media from publishing not only information on a specific topic but also the fact that a ban on that topic exists, angered UK citizens.
"Did my tax pay in any way for your injunction or lawyers which prevents the media from reporting on your affair(s)?" one Twitter user wrote. "I feel like I have a right to know that."
Further mucking things up is all the supposed feuds between members of the royal family.
Kate is supposedly fighting with Meghan. Kate and her former friend and William's alleged mistress Rose Hanbury allegedly had a falling out. William and Harry are reportedly fighting.
One journalist, Nicole Cliffe, has posited that the royal brothers could be at odds due to Harry's anger over Will's affair. Remember, their father Prince Charles cheated on their mother Princess Diana, which more or less ruined their childhood and family.
Unverified Tweets suggest the affair is still going on.
In response to Tiffin's mention of the alleged affair, one Twitter user claims not only did the affair happen, but it never ended.
"For those of us involved in Norfolk's dogging circles this isn't a surprise," Francis Aston wrote, claiming that William visits neighbor and alleged mistress Rose "3 times a week."
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer covering entertainment, and pop culture. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.