ROYALSStephen Colbert Fuels Conspiracy Rumors After Trolling Prince William for Alleged Affair
March 13 2024, Published 2:49 p.m. ET
Stephen Colbert gave his take on why Kate Middleton has been avoiding the spotlight as of late despite undergoing abdominal surgery in mid-January.
“I’m afraid I’ve got some troubling news about England’s royal family,” Colbert, 59, said on the Tuesday, March 12, episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “Internet sleuths are guessing that Kate’s absence may be related to her husband, and the future King of England, William, having an affair.”
Stephen Colbert brought up Prince William's alleged affair on his show.
“I think we all know who the alleged other woman is, say it with me, The Marchioness of Cholmondeley,” Colbert said, referring to Sarah Rose Hanbury, who goes by Rose. “Now there have been rumors of an affair between William and [Rose] since 2019. According to tabloids, back then, when Kate supposedly confronted him about it, he ‘laughed it off, saying there was nothing to it.’ Aha, always a good response when your wife accuses you of cheating.”
Hanbury, 39, is married to one of William's close friends David Rocksavage, but rumors of the two having a romantic relationship have been swirling for years. Kate, 42, and Hanbury reportedly had a falling out over the alleged incident, though Kensington Palace never commented on the speculation.
Prince William has been seen without his wife, Kate Middleton.
Royal reporter Richard Kay chimed in, adding: "Both sides have considered legal action, but because none of the reports have been able to offer any evidence about what the so-called dispute is about, they have chosen to ignore it...These hurtful rumors of a fallout are simply false."
The palace never spoke out about the rumors.
- 'It's Completely False': Prince William's Friend Rose Hanbury Shuts Down Affair Rumors After Stephen Colbert Joked About the 2019 Scandal
- Is Prince William and Kate Middleton's 'Marriage in Crisis'? Princess of Wales Is 'at Her Most Vulnerable Right Now' Amid Affair Rumors
- Kate Middleton Shuts Down Conspiracy Theories in First Official Photo Since Abdominal Surgery
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As OK! previously reported, conspiracy theories have been popping up left and right after Kate has only been seen in public twice since getting her surgery. To make matters worse, Kate shared a photo of herself with her three kids — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — in a new photo for Mother's Day, but people quickly pointed out how it was altered.
"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C📸 The Prince of Wales, 2024," the caption read.
After people looked the photo more and more, leading photo agencies — Reuters, the Associated Press, Getty and AFP — all pulled the photograph after claiming it had been altered. "At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image," a "kill notification" reportedly released by AP read.
Kate Middleton recently posted a picture in honor of Mother's Day.
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One day later, Kate attempted to take the fall for the mishap.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day," Kate wrote via X, formerly known as Twitter, on March 11.
