LONDON — Britain’s information watchdog has launched an investigation after a report that employees on the elite hospital the place Kate, the Princess of Wales, underwent surgical procedure had tried to entry her medical data.Kate, 42, has been the topic of worldwide intrigue and conspiracy theories after present process the unspecified belly process on the London Clinic, which is utilized by royals and celebrities, in January. For some, the thriller appeared resolved this week after a video emerged of her and William, the Prince of Wales, out buying close to their residence in Windsor.However Tuesday, British tabloid newspaper The Mirror reported that the clinic was investigating an allegation that at the least one member of employees tried to entry her data whereas she was a affected person on the world famend establishment.The Info Commissioner’s Workplace mentioned in a press release to NBC Information on Wednesday that it had “obtained a breach report” and was “assessing the data supplied.”NBC Information has contacted Kensington Palace and the London Clinic for remark. Kensington Palace advised the Reuters information company it was “a matter for The London Clinic.”The hospital, which has additionally handled King Charles III, advised The Mirror, “We firmly imagine that each one our sufferers, regardless of their standing, deserve complete privateness and confidentiality relating to their medical info.” British Well being Minister Maria Caulfield known as the allegations “fairly extreme” and mentioned it was “critical stuff to be accessing notes that you simply don’t have permission to.”“From a well being perspective, it’s not acceptable to be taking a look at folks’s notes, but it surely has been noticed and motion has been taken,” she mentioned in an interview with Sky Information.Requested in regards to the breach report obtained by the Info Commissioner’s Workplace, a spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan police mentioned: “We aren’t conscious of any referral to the Metropolitan Police at the moment.”It’s the newest twist in a royal saga that refuses to go away.The palace introduced in January that Kate can be taking greater than two months off after present process unspecified belly surgical procedure.However she has develop into the topic of a whole ecosystem of hypothesis and conspiracy theories filling the void of particulars that she and William have sought to maintain personal in regards to the state of affairs.Little info has been supplied about Kate’s surgical procedure or situation, whereas the now infamously manipulated household photograph that was known as out by main information businesses despatched the royal rumor mill into overdrive.Some have decried the extent of hypothesis, and even the curiosity and protection itself, on this royal cleaning soap opera. However the story additionally speaks to elementary tensions between the palace, press and public over transparency and accountability.Britain’s conservative-dominated press has been largely sympathetic to the household. These newspapers have condemned the social media plenty speculating about Kate’s well being — whereas concurrently stoking the story by giving it blanket protection.Chief amongst them is The Solar, a right-wing tabloid and one of many nation’s best-selling newspapers, which this week printed a video that it mentioned confirmed Kate and William out buying. The footage was taken by an engineer named Nelson Silva, who advised the paper that his video ought to finish the rumors about Kate’s whereabouts and situation.“I’m not a lot shocked that these feedback have continued, I’m simply confused how precisely they’ll proceed,” he mentioned of the conspiracy theories, wherein some folks had prompt that the individual within the video was not Kate. “This can be a video clearly exhibiting her and William. I noticed them with my very own eyes. It was a totally relaxed state of affairs.”Alexander Smith is a senior reporter for NBC Information Digital primarily based in London.