Lady Rose Hanbury's Children Are Being Raised in an 18th Century Palladian House

As rumors swirl around Kate Middleton's whereabouts, whose last public appearance was Dec. 25, 2023, social media has been aflutter with all of the possible reasons for her absence. According to ABC News, the Princess of Wales was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 16, 2024, for "planned abdominal surgery" and has been recovering ever since. Things got very weird when a heavily edited photo of Kate with her children popped up on her Instagram on March 10, 2024, for Britain's Mother's Day.

The gossip only intensified when the press had a sudden interest in Lady Rose Hanbury, one of Kate's oldest friends, who many believe William had an affair with. Whispers of William following in his father's footsteps were quickly approaching a scream. In the wake of all this chatter, the world has grown more curious about the Marchioness who has her own family to focus on. Here's what we know about Lady Rose Hanbury's children.

Lady Rose Hanbury and her husband, David Rocksavage, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, share three children. The couple is raising 15 year-old twins, Alexander Hugh George Cholmondeley, Earl of Rocksavage, and Lord Oliver Timothy George Cholmondeley, as well as their daughter Lady Iris Marina Aline Cholmondeley, aged eight. The family lives at Houghton Hall in Norfolk which is a "palladian hall with award-winning gardens and a contemporary sculpture park," per its Instagram bio.

The Marquess of Cholmondeley, whose actual name is David Rocksavage, married Rose in June 2009 when she was pregnant with their twin sons. At the time, she was 25 years his junior which certainly stoked the scandal fires. In October 2009, the Daily Mail reported that a then-pregnant Rose was "admitted to Queen Charlotte's Hospital, West London, because of fears of more serious complications," that went far beyond her severe morning sickness.

Both Rose and the babies were fine, but doctors did bump up her due date from January to December. Her sister assured the press that everything was fine, reminding them that, "All twins arrive slightly prematurely, and that will be the case for Rose." Despite the new date, the boys were born Oct. 12, 2009. Their sister Iris was more a little less than seven years later on March 1, 2016.

Like many royals, Rose keeps her children out of the public eye unless duty calls. One of her sons, Lord Oliver, was asked to be a page of honor at King Charles III's coronation. He cracked jokes with Prince George of Wales while standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the ceremony. The Pages of Honor are responsible for holding the "king and queen's heavy ceremonial robes," via TODAY.

As the rumors surrounding the alleged affair between Lady Rose Hanbury and Prince William have continued to swirl, some have posited that Rose is pregnant with William's child, adding yet another level of scandal. It's obviously very unlikely that this particular rumor would be either confirmed or denied, as the Palace commenting either way would only lead to further controversy.

It certainly wouldn't be the first time such a thing has happened — Charles II of England (who reigned from 1660–1685, and who, coincidentally, was also married to someone named Catherine) fathered at least 20 illegitimate children back in his day.

In a rare interview with The English Home magazine, Rose invited the publication into her home for a private tour of the estate. The house was "built in the 1720s for Britain’s first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, who employed the very best architects, decorators and designers of the day," she told the outlet. Although she admitted to not knowing exactly how many rooms are in their home, Rose did say the children love having access to all that space.

The couple moved in after the twins were born, and immediately made changes to accommodate a family. The first thing Rose did was add a big kitchen. "I wanted it to be very cozy and relaxed, so it has a fireplace, a television, a big sofa, and we can cook and eat there," she said. This allowed them to have an informal dining option.

Her sons each have their own bedrooms which are designed differently. One room's ceiling has a painting of the sky at night while the other has a painting of the sky during the day. Sadly there was no mention of Iris's bedroom but the boys love skateboarding around the main arcade. We don't know what Iris is into!