Here's Why News Articles About Prince William and Rose Hanbury's Affair Are Mysteriously Vanishing

The then-Duchess of Cambridge Catherine and her close friend Rose Hanbury had a "terrible falling-out" in 2019, according to an investigation by The Sun. Reporter Dan Wootton quoted an informant that the two "used to be close but that is not the case anymore." The Daily Beast claims that In Touch magazine broke the shocking story that Prince William had an affair with the Marchioness of Cholmondeley while Kate Middleton was expecting their third child before any other major media did. In Touch back then quoted a source saying that after hearing the rumors herself, Kate “immediately confronted” William, who “just laughed it off saying there was nothing to it.” The links to these articles have now inexplicably been removed, and there has been a social media purge to dispel the affair allegations as reported exclusively by Vulture. 

"The mysterious individuals in charge of removing stories didn’t do a great job cleaning up after themselves," Vulture's royal correspondent Ellie Hall stated. "Broken links to these vanished stories still exist in each publication's royal coverage from this timeframe and, in many cases, on these outlets' official social-media accounts." According to The Daily Beast, the mainstream media has deleted 21 stories about the scandalous affair. All of the UK-based media sources that have removed stories are tabloids such as Tatler, The Daily Mail, The Sun, and Daily Express, as well as more esteemed legacy properties like the Evening Standard, The Mirror, and The Guardian. Since April 2019, media outlets have received strongly worded letters from royal attorneys discouraging them from covering these rumors.

White Shoe law firm Harbottle and Lewis stated in one of its legal notices that “in addition to being false and highly damaging, the publication of false speculation in respect of our client’s private life also constitutes a breach of his privacy pursuant to Article 8 of the European Convention to Human Rights.” “The use of a legal letter by William as a future king is very much a move of last resort,” Duncan Larcombe, former royal editor of The Sun, stated, adding, “If the stories of Kate freezing Rose out are true, then whatever caused the falling out must have been very serious."

Hanbury too took legal action against shows that were allegedly spreading malicious rumors, as reported by InTouchWeekly, her lawyers issued a statement saying, “The rumor appears to have entered into the mainstream media recently as a result of another joke made about it on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. We have written on our client’s behalf to CBS and various other reputable media organisations to confirm that the allegation is false.” 

Colbert encouraged adultery allegations and remarked that his "heart goes out to poor Kate". “The kingdom has been all a flutter by the seeming disappearance of Kate Middleton. Well now, 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, mocked during the March 12 episode of his show. “So, I think we all know who the alleged other woman is. Say it with me –the Marchioness of Cholmondeley –what a beautiful name!”