The Princess was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter”, the Palace had said.
An investigation has been launched at the clinic where Kate Middleton had her abdominal surgery after a staff member tried to access her private medical records, as per a report in The Guardian. This comes as the 42-year-old has been away from the public eye since December. According to Kensington Palace, she is recovering at home after a “planned abdominal surgery” in January. Other than a couple of blurry pictures and videos, she has not been seen and social media has been abuzz with speculation about her health, generating global headlines and rumours.
The report, quoting the Mirror, added that at least one employee attempted to obtain Kate Middleton’s medical records in January while she was a patient at The London Clinic in Marylebone, London. The senior hospital management “contacted Kensington Palace immediately after the incident was brought to their attention and assured the palace there would be a full investigation”.
A source told the outlet, “This is a major security breach and incredibly damaging for the hospital, given its unblemished reputation for treating members of the royal family. The whole medical staff have been left utterly shocked and distraught over the allegations and were very hurt that a trusted colleague could have allegedly been responsible for such a breach of trust and ethics.”
The UK’s authority for data protection and privacy said that it had received a breach report. An Information Commissioner’s Office spokesperson told the outlet, “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.” Meanwhile, the Kensington Palace said that it “is a matter for the London Clinic.”
The London Clinic refused to respond to the claims but said that their patients “deserve total privacy” about their medical records. “We firmly believe that all our patients, no matter their status, deserve total privacy and confidentiality regarding their medical information,” they added.
Although the details of Ms Middleton’s condition are unknown, Kensington Palace has previously stated that it is unrelated to cancer and that the 42-year-old wants her medical information to remain private. Based on medical advice at the time, the Princess was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter” on March 31.
Notably, Kate Middleton was spotted at a farmer’s market with her husband Prince William on March 16. The new video, published by the British media, showed a smiling Princess, dressed in a black outfit, walking with her husband, carrying shopping bags at the Windsor market. Some people allege that the woman in the video did not resemble the Princess of Wales while others say that they are happy to see Ms Middleton “happy and healthy”. Many on the internet also added that the photos looked too grainy when every phone had a smartphone or HD camera.
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