The BBC is sorry for a slip of the tongue involving the Princess of Wales. Days after not using the royal's correct title, the broadcaster issued an apology. During their Armistice Day coverage, the BBC referred to the Princess of Wales as "Kate Middleton," which prompted backlash on social media. The network revealed on November 14 that they had "received complaints from people unhappy" that they "didn’t use the Princess of Wales’s correct title during our coverage of Armistice Day."
In the BBC's response to the complaint, they stated: "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. Throughout our Armistice Day coverage more broadly, we referred to Catherine by her correct title."
Following the broadcast on November 11, Jim Shannon, a member of Parliament for Strangford, Northern Ireland, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "A reminder to @BBCNews to educate its broadcasters that the Princess of Wales has not been 'Kate Middleton' since 2011. Her correct title is Catherine, Princess of Wales. Get it right."
The post garnered thousands of likes, with one individual responding: "Well said, Jim. It’s totally disrespectful for them to continue calling her 'Kate Middleton.'"
Middleton is the royal's maiden name. Catherine became the Duchess of Cambridge when she married Prince William in April 2011. The royal couple were then named the Prince and Princess of Wales by King Charles in 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Princess of Wales commemorated Armistice Day on November 11, visiting the National Memorial Arboretum for a Service of Remembrance at the Armed Forces Memorial. During the solo engagement, Catherine observed two minutes of silence in remembrance of the fallen and laid a wreath in memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and all those who have served in the Armed Forces. The wreath included a handwritten note from the Princess that read: "In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we will remember them, Catherine."
While out, the Princess, who completed her chemotherapy treatment in 2024, was asked by photographer Arthur Edwards if she was keeping well. "Yes, I am. Nice to see you," she replied. "Hope you are keeping well."
Alongside pictures from the engagement, the Waleses' official Instagram account penned: "Joining veterans, families, and serving members of the Armed Forces at the National Memorial Arboretum to mark Armistice Day. Today, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we commemorate not only the armistice signed at the end of World War I, but remember those who have bravely given so much in conflicts around the world. Lest We Forget."
Two days earlier, Catherine and Prince William joined members of the royal family at the annual Remembrance Day Service at The Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. That weekend, on November 8, the Princess of Wales also attended the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, accompanied by her son Prince George, which marked the 12 year old's debut at the event.