U.K. probing alleged breach of princess’s medical records
LONDON — British authorities said Wednesday that they were investigating after a report that an employee had tried to obtain the private medical records of Catherine, Princess of Wales, at the London hospital where she underwent abdominal surgery in January.
The hospital, the London Clinic, a private institution with an elite clientele, has opened an investigation of the alleged breach, according to The Daily Mirror, a British tabloid, which first reported the matter Tuesday evening.
A spokesperson for the Information Commissioner’s Office, which oversees data protection issues in Britain, said Wednesday, “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.”
The Mirror said the hospital had reported the incident to Kensington Palace, where Catherine, also known as Kate, and her husband, Prince William, have their offices. “This is a matter for the London Clinic,” a spokesperson for the palace said.
It is unclear whether the employee succeeded in gaining access to the files or in sharing them with anyone outside the hospital. But the allegations added another layer of intrigue to Kate’s sudden hospitalization and prolonged recovery, which has already become the source of rumors and conspiracy theories.
The palace has disclosed almost no details, saying in its initial statement that it was Kate’s “wish that her personal medical information remains private.”
In recent weeks, as Kate has stayed out of the public eye, social media users have conjured up increasingly wild theories about her prognosis, her whereabouts and even her relationship with her husband.
Kate, 42, contributed to the maelstrom by admitting last week that she had digitally altered a Mother’s Day photograph of her with her three children. The palace released the picture, which it said had been taken by William a few days earlier, in a misbegotten effort to dampen speculation.
On Monday, the news agency Getty Images added an advisory to a second, earlier photograph, taken by Kate of the late Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by the monarch’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The agency said that picture showed signs of being “digitally enhanced.”