Before the scandal erupted, Rose Hanbury and Kate Middleton seemed to be friends, or, at least, seemed to be on friendly terms. A 2016 article by Hello! described Hanbury as the duchess’ friend and revealed that Hanbury and her husband, David Cholmondeley, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, lived just three miles away from Middleton and Prince William’s residence, Anmer Hall.
Their proximity led to a natural friendship between the couples and their families, as did their mutual aristocratic backgrounds. Before the rumored affair, the two couples were said to be quite close, setting up play dates for their children and even attending weddings together. “William and David’s backgrounds are similar while Kate and Rose’s lives were at similar points,” a source told The Sun about the friendship between the two couples.
Friends told the paper that Hanbury and Middleton bonded over their love of organic food and frequently talked about parenting. The two couples also reportedly enjoyed many dinner parties together.