Royal expert calls reported attempted breach of Princess of Wales' medical records at London Clinic 'hugely embarrassing' for the prestigious, private hospital
Getty Images flags second Kate Middleton image as altered
Fox News contributor Joe Concha weighs in on the latest development in the Kate Middleton photoshopped photos controversy as Getty Images flags another photo as altered.
As the frenzy around Kate Middleton’s recovery and whereabouts shows no sign of stopping, a possible attempted breach of the Princess of Wales’ medical records at the hospital where she underwent her recent surgery has now put the prestigious London Clinic under scrutiny.
The hospital told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that it is investigating a potential attempted breach. According to ITV, three staff members are under investigation over the alleged incident and face disciplinary action by the hospital.
The private hospital, where the princess stayed in January for nearly two weeks for a planned abdominal surgery, has played host to many royals, including King Charles III recently, as well as celebrities and politicians over the years.
In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, the clinic's CEO, Al Russell, said, "Everyone at The London Clinic is acutely aware of our individual, professional, ethical and legal duties with regards to patient confidentiality. We take enormous pride in the outstanding care and discretion we aim to deliver for all our patients that put their trust in us every day."
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The prestigious London Clinic said it is investigating a potential attempted breach after three staff members reportedly tried to access Kate Middleton's medical records. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
He added, "We have 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. There is no place at our hospital for those who intentionally breach the trust of any of our patients or colleagues."
The Information Commissioners' Office (ICO), which operates out of the United Kingdom and aims to "uphold information rights" in the public's interest, confirmed to Fox News Digital that there was a breach reported.
"We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided," an ICO spokesperson said. It remains unclear if the breach included Kate's information.
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Christopher Andersen, author of "The King: The Life of Charles III," called the London Clinic a "go-to" hospital for the "rich and famous for nearly a century."
He told Fox News Digital, "Members of the royal family, movie stars, political figures and even foreign heads of state have sought treatment there because of the caliber of treatment they received but also because they are pampered as if they were in a five-star hotel. The cuisine – I certainly wouldn't call it hospital food – is on a par with Michelin-starred restaurants. Everyone gets an extremely high level of care, but obviously, the degree of pampering varies according to how much one is willing to pay, like everywhere else."
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Charles underwent prostate treatment at the clinic around the same time the princess was there, and other patients over the years have included Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Prince Philip, Elizabeth Taylor and former President John F. Kennedy, who was diagnosed with Addison’s disease there in 1947.
"That was hidden from the public – only one example of the hospital's discretion," Andersen added. "At the time, Addison's was considered fatal, and if the public had known Kennedy was suffering from it, his political career would have been over right then and there."
Andersen explained that the royals take a high level of security with them to whatever hospital they’re treated in.
Kate Middleton's last public appearance before her surgery was when she headed to a Christmas Day service at a church in Sandringham. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
"At the very least, a senior royal is given an entire floor if not several floors," he said. "A small army of royal protection officers and Metropolitan police make up a human firewall that keeps any unauthorized person from going anywhere near the patient."
Middleton’s security was breached in 2012 when she was being treated for severe morning sickness at the King Edward VII Hospital in London after two pranksters from a radio call-in show duped a nurse into transferring a call to another nurse on the princess’ ward.
"My feeling is that there is an unofficial price on Kate's head right now for any information about her, which may have tempted staff currently being questioned on the matter to commit an illegal act. Obviously, until charges are met, this whole subject is conjecture."
— Ian Pelham Turner, royal expert
Andersen said it’s important to keep in mind that it "does not appear there really was any breach of Kate's medical records – just the possibility that someone may have tried to access them and failed."
He said he thought the story looks "more and more like another example of Kate-related hysteria whipped up on the internet and in the tabloids."
Andersen added, "I am much more concerned about Kate's gaunt appearance in that brief video of her shopping with William near Windsor. There are people who don't even believe the woman in that video is Kate, and it's hard to blame them. She certainly looks very, very different, which we can only assume is the toll her surgery and recovery have taken over the past few months."
Kate Middleton has caused a firestorm of speculation as she recovers in private post-surgery. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Helena Chard, a British broadcaster and photographer, called the alleged attempted breach "hugely embarrassing" for the clinic and "more concerning for the Princess of Wales and royal family" because "every person working at the hospital knows their individual professional, ethical and legal duties with regards to patients’ confidentiality."
She told Fox News Digital that Middleton is "treated the same as all private patients admitted to the hospital, but she, along with other senior working royals, will have an extra bespoke food service and, of course, extra security" with two police officers constantly at the entrance of the hospital.
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She added, "The usual royal protection will also be in place but, as you can appreciate, this is confidential. The royal family also have a preferred roster of doctors and surgeons. Obviously, there will be more curiosity and interest in high profile patients such as [Middleton], especially as her condition wasn’t disclosed."
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich likewise called the breach "extremely damaging for their formerly unblemished record of the London Clinic."
She explained that the "vast majority" of staffers with Britain’s National Health Service are issued ID cards that can be used to access IT systems within the network.
Elizabeth Taylor is shown leaving the London Clinic in 1961. (Getty Images)
"In addition to being used by nurses, doctors and health care assistants, the administration staff are also issued with them," she said. "The card does leave a ‘fingerprint’ identification of whoever uses their card for the purpose of determining who logged into which computer and when."
But, she said, once the staffer has access to the "'NHS spine,' the database of every single patient record, everyone with a card and the login can access the entire system rather like a Google search to find a patient."
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The palace announced the princess’ surgery in a statement on Jan. 17: "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery."
Palace officials added that the princess wouldn’t resume her official public duties until Easter, which is at the end of this month.
Since then, conspiracy theories about the princess’ health and her whereabouts have blown up on social media. These were further fueled by a photo she posted of herself with her children for UK’s Mother’s Day on March 10 that news agencies said had been manipulated.
AP News issued a "photo kill" notice on a picture of Kate Middleton and her children she released to the public. (AP News)
The Princess of Wales issued an apology, admitting the photograph had been edited.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused," she wrote in part on X.
Meanwhile, Chard told Fox News Digital of the alleged attempted breach, "There are always rebels that want more information than they are privy to, such as the staff allegedly illegally accessing [the princess’] data, but it’s surprising that trusted workers would go as far as risking their jobs."
She added, "Let’s hope it is not found that there was [a] conspiracy to distribute illegally accessed information. Systems are in place to monitor management of patient information and appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps are in full swing."
Prince William was photographed leaving the London Clinic on Jan. 18, 2024. (Getty Images)
Kinsey Schofield, the host of the "To Di For Daily" podcast, told Fox News Digital, "It is my understanding that three individuals have been suspended in relation to the attempted breach of Catherine's private documents. Thankfully, the London Clinic does not believe that those individuals successfully accessed any private information."
She said there were no attempts to access King Charles’ information.
Patients at the hospital also have access to a concierge for booking travel or even entertainment and get personalized food menus by award-winning chefs, she explained.
Schofield added, "Obviously, they do not spell out their security strategy" and that the "Princess of Wales was able to discreetly enter the hospital and exit the hospital with no photographs."
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner agreed, telling Fox News Digital: "Security is always a very delicate subject to discuss. As royal experts, we are very aware of any dangers involved [in] feeding full descriptions, which might compromise royal safety."
He added that security is very "strict" at the clinic "especially with the royal family in attendance."
Turner said he felt that there is an "unofficial price on Kate’s head for any information about her, which may have tempted staff currently being questioned on the matter to commit an illegal act. Obviously, until charges are met, this whole subject is conjecture."
