Who is the Marquis of Cholmondeley, husband of Kate Middleton’s “rival” Rosa Hanbury and friend of Prince William

Just a month after the coronation, Buckingham Palace has finally revealed who will be the king’s and queen’s pages of honor at the historic event. In addition to some of the couple’s respective grandchildren (including Prince George), there are also some family friends among the eight boys. One of these is Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, second son (the younger of twins) of the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley.

Further demonstrating the close ties between the Cholmondeleys and the royal family, Richard Eden reported on the Daily MailKing Charles has appointed as his squire the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, Prince William’s friend and neighbor in Norfolk.

As permanent gentleman of the court, the 62-year-old Marquess of Cholmondeley will be invited to attend important public and royal ceremonies. He will also represent his Majesty during royal house events. For example, one of his predecessors, Viscount Brookeborough, had been called upon to welcome President and Mrs. Trump to the United Kingdom on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II. There are two types of court gentlemen: political (appointed by the government) and non-political (appointed by the monarch). The Marquess of Cholmondeley is a permanent gentleman of the court, i.e. a senior retired official of the royal household.

Made Viscount Malpas at birth, then Earl of Rocksavage in 1968 and Marquess of Cholmondeley in 1990, David Rocksavage is married to former model Rose Hanbury, 39, now the 7th Marchioness of Cholmondeley. The two married at Chelsea Town Hall in 2009 after meeting on holiday in Italy in 2003; she is 23 years younger than him.

The couple live at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, just four miles from Anmer Hall, the country residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Convenient, therefore, that the four are good friends. Like the Prince and Princess of Wales, they also have twin boys, Alexander, Earl of Rocksavage and Oliver, Lord Cholmondeley, and a daughter, Lady Iris.

Houghton Hall was built for the 1st Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and ancestor of the Marquess, Sir Robert Walpole. Thanks to the Marquise’s love of art, Houghton Hall has hosted numerous sculptures in her park, including one by Tony Cragg in 2021. The family also own Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire.

The Marquess of Cholmondeley held the official position of Lord Great Chamberlain until the Queen’s death, a role which included wearing his crown at the Opening of Parliament and wearing a distinctive scarlet red court uniform which features a key gilt and a long white staff. Following the monarch’s death, the role passed to Lord Rupert Carington, 7th Baron Carrington. His duties will include dressing the king on his coronation day, investing the monarch with the royal regalia and serving him water before and after the coronation banquet.