The BBC has issued an apology after referring to the Princess of Wales by her former name, Kate Middleton, during live coverage of Armistice Day commemorations – a lapse that prompted complaints from viewers.
Deadline reports that the mistake occurred on the BBC News Channel as it reported on remembrance events across the country. Although the corporation has not disclosed how many objections were lodged, the volume and tone of the reaction were sufficient for it to publish a formal statement acknowledging the error.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: “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.”
The language of the statement indicates that the slip was made more than once during the prolonged live broadcast.
The incident also attracted political attention.
Jim Shannon, the DUP MP for Strangford, urged the corporation to ensure its journalists were properly briefed on royal protocol. “A reminder to @BBCNews to educate its broadcasters that the Princess of Wales has not been ‘Kate Middleton’ since 2011,” he said. “Her correct title is Catherine, Princess of Wales. Get it right.”
The Princess of Wales had been attending Armistice Day commemorations at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire when the error was aired. The event included the sounding of the Last Post before a national two-minute silence.
