The hospital that treated Kate Middleton investigates employee who tried to access her medical records

It was too tempting not to try. At least one member of staff at the London Clinic, the hospital where Kate Middleton underwent abdominal surgery in January, tried to access the Princess of Wales’s medical history, according to the British tabloid newspaper The Mirror. “This is a major security breach and incredibly damaging for the hospital, given its unblemished reputation for treating members of the royal family,” an insider told the tabloid.

The London Clinic has opened an internal investigation, but did not want to give details of the incident. It only told The Mirror: “We firmly believe that all our patients, no matter their status, deserve total privacy and confidentiality regarding their medical information.” Kensington Palace — the official residence of Prince William and Kate Middleton and name given to the office handling the affairs of the Prince and Princess of Wales — said it was “a matter for The London Clinic.”

The clinic, where King Charles III is also being treated for prostate cancer, has been the hospital of choice for members of the royal household and the British political class, due to its discretion and privacy. The late Queen Elizabeth II, and her husband Philip of Edinburgh, along with prime ministers such as Anthony Eden and Clement Attlee, were also patients there.

It is not the first time that someone has tried to meddle with Kate Middleton’s private health matters. In 2012, when the Princess of Wales was admitted to the Edward VII Hospital in London, suffering from a severe episode of morning sickness, a practical joke by an Australian radio station had very serious consequences. The radio hosts pretended to be King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth, and a nurse at the hospital ended up revealing the princess’s medical report. The scandal became global news, and the nurse, married with two children, later killed herself.

Speculation continues

According to the newspaper The Times, Kate Middleton may make her first official public appearance on March 31, Easter Sunday. On Monday, the tabloid The Sun released a video showing the Prince and Princess of Wales at a farm shop in the town of Windsor, which has calmed the media furor in Britain.

But while the British press considers the footage sufficient evidence to silence the rumors about Kate’s health and whereabouts, the speculation continues internationally and on social media, where many have questioned the video recorded on a cellphone from inside a vehicle, parked outside the shop that Prince William and Kate supposedly visited on Saturday.

Kate’s rumored public appearance on Easter Sunday — if it does happen — would be the latest attempt to temper a credibility crisis that has been disastrously managed by the Kensington Palace. It would also not change the original plans for the princess to resume royal duties after the school holidays, starting next April 17.

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