The BBC has issued an apology to Princess of Wales, Catherine, after she was repeatedly referred to by her maiden name, “Kate Middleton,” during its recent Armistice Day broadcast.
Presenter and correspondent Rajini Vaidyanathan used the former name several times while reporting last week, prompting complaints from viewers following the Remembrance Day events.
In a statement, the broadcaster acknowledged the mistake, saying, “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.”
It added that “Throughout our Armistice Day coverage more broadly, we referred to Catherine by her correct title.”
Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day, marks the end of World War I and honours those who have died in conflicts.
This year’s commemoration featured Catherine’s first appearance at the Armistice Day Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum on November 11, where she led a two-minute silence and laid a wreath on behalf of the royal family.
The correction comes shortly after the BBC apologized to US President Donald Trump over an editing error in a documentary he has threatened to sue over.
On Thursday, the organization said it “sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited” in the programme Trump: A Second Chance?, which aired in October 2024.
Despite the apology, the BBC rejected the defamation claims filed by Trump’s lawyers and declined to offer compensation.
The resulting fallout sparked a major crisis within the corporation, leading to the resignations of director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness.
Trump later told reporters he plans to pursue legal action against the broadcaster for a sum between $1 billion and $5 billion, saying, “I think I have to do it. They’ve even admitted that they cheated. … They cheated, they changed the words coming out of my mouth.”
