What Was Rose Hanbury Doing Before She Married David Rocksavage?
Rose Hanbury became Marchioness of Cholmondeley when she married David Rocksavage, Marquess of Cholmondeley, in 2009. Sometime later, Hanbury got to know William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales. Unfortunately, Hanbury's royal associations led to her being accused of having an affair with the prince, a claim her legal team has unequivocally denied.
However, Hanbury had royal ties long before her marriage to Rocksavage. Her grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Longman, was a longtime friend of Queen Elizabeth II. On her dad's side, her ancestors were prosperous brewers, and around three years after Hanbury was born, her parents purchased Wembury House, a historic home with luxurious interiors. When Hanbury was a kid, Wembury was also reportedly a location for extravagant celebrations. "Mum turned the basement into a nightclub for us, painting the whole place herself and hanging Moroccan lanterns and suzanis from the walls. It felt a bit like an opium den," Rose explained in the book "Rare Birds True Style" by Violet Naylor-Leyland (via Daily Mail).
Hanbury attended Stowe School, an expensive private school. Afterward, she went to the Open University, a distance-learning school. Hanbury's father had previously had a reputation as a partier, and, in the mid-2000s, Hanbury did too. She hung out with wealthy and well-known individuals, like Tony Blair, who served as U.K. prime minister from 1997 to 2007. But, this bustling party life abruptly changed after she married and became a mom to twins within months.
Rose Hanbury began her modeling career before she married
In 2007, Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, began working with Storm as a model. One of her early endeavors included modeling for Escada in London. Since her marriage to David Rocksavage, Marquess of Cholmondeley, Hanbury still models on occasion. However, the vibe of these photos is vastly different and reflects her lifestyle change. Instead of being out on the town with a group, Hanbury is alone at Houghton Hall, the Cholmondeleys' massive country home, away from the London party scene. For example, one photo features Hanbury sitting on a sofa wearing royal blue pajamas and holding a cocktail.
In 2012, Hanbury and her home participated in a photo shoot for Love Magazine that included Kate Moss. The iconic model posed with Hanbury's grandmother, Lady Elizabeth Longman, for one of the shots. No longer a party girl, Hanbury emphasized her role as a titled aristocrat by posing on a marble-topped table in front of one of Houghton Hall's priceless paintings of Sybil Sassoon, her husband's grandmother. Hanbury is modeling the same outfit Sassoon wore 90 years earlier.
Then, in 2016, Hanbury participated in a shoot for W Magazine while she was pregnant with her daughter Iris. The marchioness lounged on a sofa in Houghton's Yellow Room while wearing a sky-blue Salvatore Ferragamo gown. Unfortunately for Hanbury, this particular photo led to her being embroiled in a controversy involving her furnishings after social media users noticed the room's collection of historic Chinese artifacts.
She also worked for a member of U.K. Parliament
Around 2009, Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, worked in the political sector. Hanbury was employed as a researcher for Michael Gove, a member of U.K. Parliament. This type of role includes investigating specific issues to develop background info for a politician's speeches and meetings. At the time, Hanbury was pregnant with her twin sons, Alexander, Earl of Rocksavage, and Oliver, Lord Cholmondeley. Ultimately, she decided to leave her position because of the difficulties of dealing with pregnancy symptoms while working.
Once her twins arrived, Hanbury was busy parenting and transforming Houghton Hall into a home for her growing family. She also worked to keep her young sons from getting into too much mischief in an enormous house filled with priceless objects. "Before they could speak, the twins were up to no good," Hanbury recalled to Town & Country. "They took some huge bags of flour and poured them all over the hallway because they wanted to see 'snow' inside. I thought the ceiling had collapsed!"
In 2022, Hanbury followed in her mother's footsteps and worked as a housewares designer. She collaborated with Cabana magazine and developed various products, including plates, tablecloths, napkins, and coasters. Hanbury's designs were a riff on Houghton Hall's décor and antiques.