The Princess of Wales was a patient at The London Clinic back in January for a planned abdominal surgery.
British police have been asked to look into a potential breach of Kate Middleton's health records in the wake of the ongoing speculation surrounding the Princess of Wales' condition and whereabouts, a British health minister claims.
Earlier this week, British outlet The Mirror reported that The London Clinic, where Kate was treated in January for a "planned abdominal surgery," has launched an investigation over claims staff tried to access her private medical records.
The Information Commissioner's Office, Britain's data watchdog, released a statement on Wednesday, confirming that they are looking into this.
"We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided," the ICO shared.
According to The Independent, British health minister Maria Caulfield said that police have been "asked to look at" whether the staff of The London Clinic attempted to access the medical records of Prince William's wife.
Caulfield added that there will be "hefty implications" for anyone attempting to access the files without permission. This could result in prosecution or fines.
And while Caulfield said the police had been contacted, a Metropolitan Police spokesman tells ET, "We are not aware of any referral to the Metropolitan Police at this time."
The London Clinic CEO Al Russell released a statement, sharing, "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. 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 drama with the royal mother of three started back in January when the Palace announced that Kate had undergone a "planned abdominal surgery" and would be stepping away from public duties until after the Easter holiday.
When weeks went by without a single sighting of Kate, many began to speculate about her health and whereabouts. Then in honor of British Mother's Day, the Palace released an image of Kate and her three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — that was allegedly taken by Prince William. However, shortly after, several news outlets, including the Associated Press, pulled the image, saying it was "manipulated," leading to even more speculation. Kate released a statement amid the controversy.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she wrote. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day."
But even after a video of William and Kate supposedly at the Windsor Farm Shop surfaced over the weekend, conspiracy theorists weren't satisfied.
For more on Kate, check out the links below.
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