The former British model, Sarah Rose Hanbury, who has been rumoured to have an illicit affair with the Royal Prince William, on Monday issued a formal statement through her lawyer to simmer down the conspiracy theories. The 40-year-old denied having a love affair or any impropriety with the royal next in line to the throne, as she dismissed the rumours as illegitimate.

“The rumours are completely false," Hanbury's lawyers said in a statement to Business Insider.

The 63-year-old wife of the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley has three children, twins Alexander and Oliver, 14, and Iris, 8. Her family runs in the inner circle of Kate and William. Hanbury’s son Oliver Oliver served as a Page of Honour at the coronation of Prince William's father, UK’s King Charles III, in May 2023. He was also spotted waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The Kensington Palace, which refused to weigh into the buzz this time, had previously denied any connection between the Marchioness of Cholmondeley and the 41-year-old William.

‘Katespiracy’ theories conjure Hanbury's name

Hanbury’s name became a popular topic of discussion and a search trend on the social media after users analysing the "Katespiracy" theories to find out whereabouts of the Princess of Wales, brought up the forbidden amour.  The palace, however, clarified that the senior royal family member will not return to her Royal duties until at least Easter (March 31) when her condition is more ‘significant.’ The speculations went berserk after Kate’s digitally recent Mother’s Day photo, the first since January with her kids, was found to be digitally altered.

The popular Stephen Colbert show on the British television dedicated a monologue to Hanbury last week speculating her alleged role in Kate’s disappearance. The palace dedicates Kate’s absence to her health and time off for a recovery after the abdominal surgery that she underwent in January.

"The kingdom has been all aflutter 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," the late-night comedian said on the episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last week.

"I think we all know who the alleged other woman is, say it with me, The Marchioness of Cholmondeley," he continued. "Now there have been rumours of an affair between William and [Hanbury] 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,” Colbert said, stunning his audience.