House Cambridge has been looking good lately. Princess Kate’s garden was a big hit. They put on a good show at Trooping the Colour last weekend. Prince William threw down some “soft politics” in Cumbria earlier this week, demonstrating his statesman skills, giving us a sign of the kind of monarch he might be.
But… there’s something House Cambridge can’t shake. Or, rather, someone they can’t shake.
The “Turnip Toff” drama was first reported by the Sun a couple of months ago. Kate used to be very close with Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, but for whatever reason they broke up and people in the English countryside have been gossiping about what could possibly have fractured the friendship. Since then, in the absence of any follow-up, there’s been a LOT of speculation. People are wondering what happened, there are rumours that there may have been an affair. And, interestingly enough, the British papers have seemed like they’ve deliberately avoided the story. Still, it won’t go away on social media.
And now the Sun is back with an article that’s all about how Rose has been struggling these past few weeks. You can read it here but I’ll summarise as follows:
Rose and David Rocksavage, her husband, the Marquess of Cholmondeley, don’t spend all that much time together. He’s often in Paris, leaving her with their children back in Norfolk. The Sun makes it sound like theirs is a hollow marriage. Rose is now feeling even more isolated because people are talking sh-t about her and she’s lost a close friend. We are supposed to have sympathy for Rose.
You know what’s interesting though? The article that you see now on the Sun’s website is not the one that was originally posted last night. There were two very interesting paragraphs that were initially included that have mysteriously disappeared. “Thanks God” for screenshots! Here they are – I’ve highlighted the intriguing parts:
“It seems to have started because she had one or two suppers with William in Norfolk when Kate was away.”
Also…
“And Kate was grateful that a good friend and neighbour like Rose was there to entertain William.”
ENTERTAIN WILLIAM.
I mean, that quote was the reason for the screenshot. As soon as I read that last night I was like… ummm… we need to save this.
“Entertain William” is… well… it’s an eyebrow-raiser. Certainly encourages those who were rumouring about a possible affair between Will and Rose. So it’s not a surprise that that passage is no longer included in the article. The question is…
Did the royals demand to have it amended or was it Rose’s source, whose intention was to paint Rose in a sympathetic light, realise afterward how that phrasing read in print, and ask to have it pulled?
Whatever the explanation, none of this helps House Cambridge. Every time they think they’ve weathered the Turnip Toff-Rose Hanbury storm, it finds new life and blows back in to bother them.