I saw a TikTok describing Rose Hanbury and Queen Camilla as “the Side-Chick Avengers” and I haven’t been able to get that out of my head. Rose, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, has suddenly re-emerged after rumors of her affair with Prince William went massively mainstream several months ago. Keep in mind, while Rose is aristocratic and well-connected, for the past five-plus years, we’ve barely seen her. She’s turned up maybe once or twice a year at royal events or public events. Except for the whole “she might be banging an angry egg” thing, Rose has always been pretty good about minding her business and not seeking the spotlight. So it’s crazy that we saw her twice in one week – once on May 12 at the Badminton Horse Trials and once on May 15th at the service for the Order of the British Empire. Both of those appearances included Queen Camilla as well, and at the Badminton Horse Trials, there were even photos of Rose and Camilla greeting each other and laughing. Fascinating. Also fascinating? Richard Eden’s latest Daily Mail column, “How Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, is blossoming in the court of Queen Camilla.”

While the Princess of Wales is missing from public life as she undergoes treatment for cancer, one of her friends is taking an increasingly prominent role at court. The Marchioness of Cholmondeley, who lives next door to Prince William and Catherine’s Norfolk retreat, Anmer Hall, is said to have become close to Queen Camilla.

Last weekend, the marchioness, former model Rose Hanbury, 40, was pictured curtsying to the Queen at Badminton House in Gloucestershire, where they attended the horse trials.

Badminton is owned by the Duke of Beaufort, rock musician ‘Bunter’, who’s a close friend of Rose’s father, Tim Hanbury.

Just a few days later, one of Rose’s twin sons, Lord Oliver, held the royal robes at St Paul’s Cathedral, where he was page of honour to the King and Queen at a service of dedication for the Order of the British Empire.

Rose’s husband, David, the Marquess of Cholmondeley, who turns 64 next month, is a Lord-in-Waiting to the King.

While Catherine was absent, Rose gave a subtle nod to her style by wearing the same black, drop-brim hat by royal favourite Lock & Co that the princess has worn in the past.

[From The Daily Mail]

Everyone knows. It’s not like a Mail columnist just decided to note that this Norfolk marchioness seems to be out in public these days. No one is saying it outright, but the fact that they’re saying anything is proof that there’s a much larger story. A story involving a missing princess, a side-chick queen, a rural rival mistress and an off-kilter heir. It’s interesting that Eden is even taking the first tentative steps towards saying something or drawing attention to Rose’s sudden closeness to Camilla.

Incidentally, for months now, I have not believed that Rose is being soft-launched as the new Princess of Wales. Like, I don’t think she wants that life and I suspect she and Huevo are not doing the forbidden dance at this point. But all of this is so incredibly curious and poorly managed.

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Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty.