BBC apologises for Princess of Wales ‘errors’
The British public broadcaster has issued a public apology over “errors” made regarding the Princess of Wales in recent coverage.
IN LONDON
The BBC has issued a rare apology to the Princess of Wales following backlash over its coverage of her attendance at Remembrance Day events.
The British public broadcaster issued a statement noting that it had “received complaints from people unhappy that we didn’t use the Princess of Wales’ correct title during our coverage of Armistice Day”, which took place last Tuesday.
Catherine attended an event at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England, where she laid a wreath on behalf of her husband, Prince William, for the first time.
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While covering the event, BBC anchor Rajini Vaidyanathan referred to the princess as “Kate Middleton” several times, which many viewers branded “disrespectful”.
“During our coverage of memorials to commemorate Armistice Day, we mistakenly referred to Catherine, Princess of Wales as Kate Middleton; these were errors during hours of live broadcasting for which we apologise,” the statement read.
“Throughout our Armistice Day coverage more broadly, we referred to Catherine by her correct title.”
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The late Queen had bestowed several titles on William and Kate to mark their 2011 wedding, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and she also officially dropped her maiden name “Middleton” at that time.
When Charles ascended the throne in September 2022, they became the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Kate will be officially known as the Queen Consort when William becomes King, but will be known more broadly as Queen Catherine, in the style that Camilla is now.
Meanwhile, the BBC apology comes amid a busy week for Kate, who confirmed the theme of her annual “Together at Christmas” charity carol service at Westminster Abbey, spoke to a high-profile audience of business leaders at the Future Workforce Summit and released a personal new video about “learning to let go of what is no longer needed” and “embrace change”.
The video message followed a challenging couple of years for 43-year-old Kate, who is now in remission after being diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer early last year, and later underwent months of chemotherapy.
In a short film released via Kensington Palace as part of her “Mother Nature” series, Kate described autumn as a season for “reflection and refinement” and encouraged people to “embrace the beauty found in change”.
Meanwhile, Kate and Prince William are in the midst of a major change themselves, having just moved from Adelaide Cottage to their new “forever home”, the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge, in Windsor Great Park with their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
Originally published as BBC apologises for Princess of Wales ‘errors’
