London — Gossip about Kate's health continues to swirl despite a recent video clip showing Catherine, the Princess of Wales, out shopping with her husband Prince William. Reports suggest that interest in Kate's well-being is so intense that it may have driven a London clinic employee to illegally attempt to access her medical records.
According to a British newspaper, at least one individual tried to obtain Kate's personal medical information from the private London Clinic, where she had undisclosed abdominal surgery earlier this year.
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Responding to the incident, the CEO of the London Clinic, Al Russell, emphasized that all staff members are committed to upholding patient confidentiality. In a statement to CBS News, Russell stated, "We take enormous pride in the outstanding care and discretion we aim to deliver for all our patients who trust us with their health every day."
Russell said the London Clinic had "systems in place to monitor management of patient information and, in the case of any breach, all appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken," adding: "There is no place at our hospital for those who intentionally breach the trust of any of our patients or colleagues."
British health minister Maria Caulfield told the Sky News television network that London police had "been asked to look at" whether any clinic staff members had, in fact, attempted to access Kate's private medical records.
Caulfield said in a separate interview with the LBC radio network that the information commissioner's office could also lead prosecutions, and added that there were "particularly hefty implications if you are looking at notes for medical records that you should not be looking at."
Kensington Palace said from the beginning that it would not be providing updates on Kate's recovery from her surgery, offering only that she's expected to return to her royal duties after Easter.
But after the palace said it would provide no updates, interest soared when the princess was shown in a British Mother's Day image with her three children. Several leading global photo agencies recalled the picture after noticing some inconsistencies.
That prompted the palace to release an apology, credited to Kate, who said that "like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing."
The acknowledgment led to scrutiny of other images presented to the public by Kate and William and, this week, a second one, initially shared by the royals in 2023, fell under suspicion. The image depicting a warm family moment with the late Queen Elizabeth II, surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was said to have been snapped at the royals' Balmoral Castle retreat in Scotland, in August 2022.
But CBS News and many other outlets found discrepancies in that image, too, including misalignments on patterns in the late queen's tartan skirt and the sofa they were all sat on, and some black or blurry patches around some of the children's heads.
Getty Images added a note on the photo in its server, labelling it as "digitally enhance at source."
The Princess of Wales' father-in-law King Charles III is still largely out of the public eye as he undergoes cancer treatment, but the rest of the senior royals have tried to maintain business as usual. That includes Prince William, who visited a homeless project in the north of England on Tuesday.
On London's streets, meanwhile, most people who spoke to CBS News seemed to sympathize with Kate and her family's appeal for privacy.
"I think they need to leave her alone – I think her health is her own business," said Londoner Paul Hunt.
"I think she gets a lot of stick, and everyone should just leave her alone. If she's been poorly, then she's been poorly," said Sally Cannon as she made her way to work.
"It is important to remember that she is not just a member of the monarchy, but also a human being," expressed Michelle Hanafi, a resident of the area.
