While Prince William has been happily married to Kate Middleton for years, for a time, it appeared as if things weren’t well with the couple. A scandal erupted in 2019, when outlets reported that Prince William was having an affair with Rose Hanbury, a family friend who was present at his wedding to Kate in 2011, as noted by the Daily Mail.
While there was no evidence for the affair, the gossip nevertheless took a toll on Prince William and his family. A source told Hollywood Life that Kate didn’t believe the gossip, but that she and Prince William were “very concerned for Rose” as she was “a married woman with children, and … not used to this kind of public scrutiny.”
In spite of the stress of the situation, Prince William and Kate ignored the rumors, although their attorneys reportedly threatened legal action against outlets spreading the rumor. Months after the rumors began circulating, a source told Us Weekly that it made the couple stronger. “It forced her and William to sit back and examine their relationship, which they realized they should have been doing more often,” they said.