Kate’s privacy breach report is under review by UK authorities
British authorities said on Wednesday they were investigating after a report that an employee had tried to obtain the personal medical records of Catherine, Princess of Wales, at the London hospital where she was treated. undergo abdominal surgery in January.
The hospital, the London Clinic, a private institution with an elite clientele, has opened an investigation into the alleged breach, according to The Daily Mirror, a British tabloid, which first reported the matter on Tuesday evening.
A spokesperson for the Information Commissioner’s Office, which oversees data protection issues in Britain, said on Wednesday: “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.”
The Mirror said the hospital reported the incident to Kensington Palace, where Catherine and her husband, Prince William, have their offices. “This is a matter for the London Clinic,” a palace spokesman said.
It is unclear whether the employee was able to access the files or share them with anyone outside the hospital. But the allegations added another layer of intrigue to Catherine’s sudden hospitalization and lengthy recovery, which have already become the source of feverish rumors And conspiracy theories.
Despite all the speculation, there has been no informed reporting on the condition that prompted Catherine’s surgery. The palace has released virtually no details, saying in its initial statement that it was Catherine’s “wish that her personal medical information remain private.”
As Catherine has remained out of the public eye in recent weeks, social media users have come up with increasingly wild theories about her prognosis, her whereabouts and even her relationship with her husband.
Catherine, 42, added to the maelstrom by admitting last week that she had digitally modified a Mother’s Day photo of her with her three children. The palace released the photo, which was reportedly taken by William a few days earlier, in a misguided attempt to dampen public speculation.
On Monday, the Getty Images news agency added an advisory to a second, earlier photo, taken by Catherine of Queen Elizabeth II, surrounded by the monarch’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The agency said the photo showed signs of being “digitally enhanced.”
On Monday, two London tabloids published images and a video showing Catherine and William walking out of a grocery store near their home in Windsor, west of London, last weekend. If verified, these would be the first images of Catherine to reach the public since she entered the hospital in January.
Kensington Palace declined to comment on the video, sticking to its policy that it would provide no information about Catherine’s recovery other than to say she would resume her official duties sometime after the Easter holidays.
The accusation that a staff member may have tried to compromise Catherine’s personal medical records is an embarrassment for the London Clinic, which has treated other members of the royal family, as well as celebrities such as actress Elizabeth Taylor and foreign leaders including the Chilean dictator. General Augusto Pinochet. John F. Kennedy was diagnosed by doctors with Addison’s disease while hospitalized in 1947.
Catherine spent almost two weeks in hospital, where she was visited by King Charles III, who himself presented himself at around the same time treatment of an enlarged prostate. After he was released, Buckingham Palace announced that doctors had discovered an undisclosed form of cancer during his procedure.
The palace zealously protected Catherine’s privacy during her stay. There were no photos of her children going to visit her at the hospital, which is in the Marylebone area of London, and only a single photo of William behind the wheel of a car outside, presumably after a visit.
On the day she was released, the palace said: “The Prince and Princess would like to extend a huge thank you to the entire team at the London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they provided.”