Stephen Colbert trolled the British royal family on The Late Show on Tuesday night by referring to an affair Prince William is widely alleged to have had with his neighbor Rose Hanbury.
Back in April 2019, The Daily Beast reported on palace lawyers’ attempts to suppress the affair by issuing stern legal notices to British publications, cautioning them not to write about it.
At the time, official sources in Kensington Palace told The Daily Beast that the allegations were “totally wrong and false.” Royal law firm Harbottle and Lewis issued letters to the British media stating that the stories were “false and highly damaging.”
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British newspapers contented themselves with reporting that there had been a terrible argument between former friends Kate and Rose, but were coy about stating the cause of the falling out.
Colbert said in his opening monolog that “internet sleuths” were guessing that Kate Middleton’s “absence may be related to her husband and the future king of England, William, having an affair.”
“Oh no. My heart goes out to poor Kate. Now let’s dish the hot goss, I am ready to spill the tea!” Colbert said, appropriately holding...a cup of tea.
Colbert mocked the fact that Rose’s married name, Cholmondeley, is pronounced Chumley, and the name of her husband David Rocksavage as “sounding less like a British noble and more like a musician from The Flintstones.”
Colbert said there had been “rumors of an affair… since 2019.” He referred to reports at the time, flashing up a still from Cosmopolitan, which reported that when Kate allegedly confronted William about the affair, “he laughed it off, saying there was nothing to it.”
“Always a good response when your wife accuses you of cheating,” Colbert said.
Speculation about Kate’s wellbeing and the state of her marriage has gone into overdrive since she issued a photoshopped image of her and her children in which she was not wearing a wedding band.
