Prince William & Kate Middleton Rocked By Affair Rumors & They’re Worried For The ‘Accused’ Woman

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After allegations of Prince William being unfaithful went viral ahead of their anniversary, we’ve EXCLUSIVELY learned he and Kate Middleton are SHOOK — and that they’re deeply concerned for the family friend at the center of this rumor.

Prince William, 36, and Kate Middleton, 37, are no strangers to wild allegations in the press, but this latest rumor might have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. While the allegation that he cheated on the Duchess of Cambridge with the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, Rose Hanbury, while Kate was pregnant with her third child, Louis, is a year old, the rumor was recently dredged up in the press, AND it went viral online. “Kate and William generally ignore these sorts of nasty rumors,” a royal insider tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY, “but this one has really rocked them, that’s why lawyers are involved. The rumor is so ugly and so false, they couldn’t just ignore it.”

“And it doesn’t just hurt them, they are very concerned for Rose,” the source tells HollywoodLife.com. “She’s a married woman with children, and she’s not used to this kind of public scrutiny. She’s a friend of not only Kate’s but also the entire family, so this is upsetting for everyone.” Rose’s grandmother was a very close with Queen Elizabeth II, 93, and was in her wedding party when she married Prince Philip, 97, so this ugly rumor has struck a nerve for Kate and William. Plus, as the insider notes, it “couldn’t have come at a worse time for William and Kate, they’re about to celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary.”

April 29, 2019 marks eight years since Kate and William tied the knot. Instead of focusing on love and romance, the couple is spending time, money and energy on defending their marriage. “Luckily Kate’s extraordinarily strong, she’s so good at rising above these kinds of things,” the source adds.

Though Kate is extraordinarily strong and has adapted well to life in the spotlight, a second source EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife.com that “the rumors bother Kate. They don’t feel good, even though she doesn’t believe them. What is being said about William makes Kate feel uncomfortable, and she believes in her marriage, not the nasty rumors floating around. She trusts William and doesn’t want to give the rumors any attention.”

Why should Kate and William pay attention to these rumors? That’s what lawyers are for. After In Touch published a cover story about William allegedly cheating on Kate with Rose, his attorneys with London-based law firm Harbottle and Lewis shot down the cheating allegations. The firm is reportedly threatening legal action against any UK media outlets if they run a story with the rumor.