Embed from Getty Images

It’s not surprising that Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, would attend last night’s state dinner/banquet for Donald Trump. Her husband David, the Marquess of Cholmondeley is a regular guest of the Queen at these kinds of formal state events, and of course he brings his wife. He’s the Lord Great Chamberlain and I believe that means he has “constitutional duties” within these kinds of events. So, it wasn’t surprising. And yet it was interesting to see Rose walk in towards the end of the procession into the banquet hall. Rose wore white, which was the color of the evening – the Duchess of Cambridge, the Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall and Melania Trump also wore white.

There were internet rumors that Rose was seated somewhere close to Kate, but I can’t verify that and I don’t see why she would be. What I find fascinating though is… how few media outlets are even talking about it. Prince William’s legal threats came down like a hammer and now The Sun, the Daily Mail, all of the tabloids, they’re all scared to even utter the name Rose Hanbury. Hello was one of the few outlets to mention it, and they did not even reference why Rose’s presence could be shady.

A total of 170 people attended Buckingham Palace’s glittering State Banquet on Monday night in honour of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, and among the many royal and known faces was the Duchess of Cambridge’s Norforlk neighbour, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley.

Rose’s attendance is no surprise as the 35-year-old is the wife of David Cholmondeley, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley and Lord Great Chamberlain and they are regular guests at State Banquets. In his ceremonial role he has charge over the Palace of Westminster and he also has a major part to play in grand royal events, such as coronations, having the right to dress the monarch on coronation day and to serve the monarch water before and after the coronation banquet, and also being involved in investing the monarch with the insignia of rule.

On the night, the Marchioness of Cholmondely was sat between Jeremy Fleming and Professor Ralph Speth while her husband sat next to the Duchess of Gloucester.

A total of sixteen members of the royal family attended the dinner – the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra.

[From Hello]

Hello is just going to sit there and mention the royals attending the event and they expect their readers to put it together. Such palace intrigue! I wonder if Kate shot eye-daggers at Rose while William swallowed hard and stared at his plate. I wonder if Rose was especially vivacious last night, throwing back her wine and laughing so loudly so everyone in the banquet hall could hear her. I wonder if Donald Trump and his staff were briefed on the Rose situation. So many questions. But honestly, this is why I believe that Rose leaked the “rural rival” story – she was mad because Kate was trying to phase her out, and Rose was like “no honey, that’s not how this works.” And it’s not how it works – Rose and David are clearly still in the royal fold.

Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, was at the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace tonight — and it looks like she was at the VERY end of the procession into the ballroom.
(? @GettyImages) pic.twitter.com/kvySFML6al

— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) June 3, 2019

Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.