While The Independent's post led to social media chatter about whether Kate's step back from the public is related to an alleged relationship between William and Hanbury, rumors of an affair first surfaced in 2019.
In a timeline of the rumors published by Cosmopolitan, the drama reportedly began after British tabloid The Sun published an article speculating on a rumored fallout between Kate and Hanbury and alleged that the Princess of Wales asked William to have her "phased out" of their social life. The article, which no longer appears on the site, didn't mention the exact cause of the rumored fallout.
No British tabloid, including The Sun, went on to publish articles about a rumored affair, which led to the Daily Beast reporting that the palace threatened legal action against publications that covered it. But any alleged attempts to suppress coverage didn't stop some users on X and US outlet In Touch from doing so, Cosmopolitan reported.
The rumor mill slowed down significantly after 2019, likely thanks to the royals' long-held "never complain, never explain" PR strategy.
But it cropped up again in July 2022 when The Cut reported Deux Moi, a popular celebrity gossip Instagram account, published a blind item from an anonymous submitter alleging that a member of the royal family was having an affair that was essentially an "open secret." At the time, internet sleuths pointed the finger at William.
Again, the palace did not comment on the rumor, but The Cut reported that it had weighed up legal action against Deux Moi.
Besides a brief resurgence in discussion after royal expert Omid Scobie told Entertainment Tonight he was "careful" about addressing rumors of an affair in his 2023 royal book "Endgame," talk about the rumor again fell quiet.