In January 2024, Princess Kate had a planned abdominal surgery at the London Clinic. Kensington Palace has not released more details about why she had surgery, only saying that it was planned and that she is not expected to resume royal duties until after Easter.

Now, there are reports that there was a security breach at the London Clinic. Reportedly, an employee at the clinic may have attempted to gain access to Kate’s private medical records.

The first question is, what qualifies as a security breach? Is it really a security breach if someone who works at a hospital tries to look at medical records at that hospital? According to The Sunday Mirror’s royal and entertainment reporter, Sarah Robertson, yes, that is a security breach. The records were apparently kept very secure with minimal staff having access to them, and someone who didn’t have access was “caught snooping” which is “a criminal offense.” It’s against the law to break doctor patient confidentiality.

Health Minister Maria Caulfield told LBC radio, “Patients must have confidence that their personal information is protected at all times. Our guidance is clear: we expect doctors to make sure any personal information about patients is effectively protected at all times against improper access, disclosure or loss, and they must not access a patient’s personal information unless they have a legitimate reason to view it.”

Currently, the London Clinic is the hospital where King Charles is getting cancer treatments. One side effect of these security breach is that the royal family may be hesitant to go to the London Clinic for future medical treatments.

The Mirror reports that the London Clinic has launched an investigation. Reportedly, the staffer who was snooping was caught before accessing Kate’s medical records; however, Robertson is suspicious that someone is currently selling Kate’s private medical information. She finds this very concerning.

One London Clinic insider told 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. Senior hospital bosses contacted Kensington Palace immediately after the incident was brought to their attention and assured the palace there would be a full investigation. The whole medical staff have been left utterly shocked and distraught over the allegations and were very hurt that a trusted colleague could have possibly been responsible for such a breach of trust and ethics.”

Watch the video below for more details about this alleged security breach, what it might mean for the royal family and what it might mean for the London Clinic.