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A probe has been launched into reports that hospital staff attempted to view the Princess of Wales’s private medical records.

The hospital in central London where the princess was treated in January has launched an investigation into the claims, according to reports.

At least one member of staff was alleged to have been caught trying to access the royal’s notes, the Mirror reported.

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The couple have, in recent weeks, faced social media speculation surrounding Kate’s health and whereabouts

Kate attended The London Clinic in January for abdominal surgery – and she has not attended a public engagement since.

An Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) spokesperson said on Tuesday: “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.”

Hospital bosses are said to have contacted Kensington Palace after the apparent breach came to light.

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The clinic refused to comment on the claims but told the Mirror: “We firmly believe that all our patients, no matter their status, deserve total privacy and confidentiality regarding their medical information.”

Kensington Palace said: “This is a matter for The London Clinic.”

Sky News has contacted Kensington Palace and The London Clinic.

The security breach is not the first time Kate has faced public exposure of private medical records

In 2012, two Australian DJs posed as the Queen and the then Prince Charles in a prank call to King Edward VII’s hospital where Kate was being treated for acute morning sickness.

Indian-born nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead three days after transferring the call to a colleague who divulged details about Kate’s recovery.

Police officers outside the London Clinic, in central London, where the Princess of Wales is recovering after undergoing successful abdominal surgery, Kensington Palace has announced. The Palace refused to confirm what Kate was being treated for but confirmed the condition was non-cancerous. Picture date: Wednesday January 17, 2024.
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The London Clinic in January. Pic: PA

Conspiracy theories flourish

Conspiracy theories have flourished on social media following Kate’s absence from public life after her surgery, with many speculating about her whereabouts and health.

A poll for Sky News found more than half of people in the UK have seen conspiracy theories on social media about why the Princess of Wales is absent from public life – but it has not dented trust in the Royal Family.

Footage emerged of the royal out shopping with the Prince of Wales at the weekend at the Windsor Farm Shop close to their Adelaide cottage home in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Online speculation increased after news agencies pulled a Mother’s Day photograph of Kate and her children after irregularities were spotted, which led to the princess admitting to “editing” the image and apologising for any “confusion” caused.

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Two public appearances since operation

The future Queen has been photographed in public twice since her operation.

In a picture published on 4 March, she was seen in the front seat of a car driven by her mother, Carole Middleton, in the Windsor area.

She was also photographed sitting next to the Prince of Wales in a chauffeur-driven car last Monday, when he attended the Commonwealth Day service in London and she was driven to a private appointment.

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Kensington Palace has been drawing up plans for Kate to make a “soft return” to public life, according to a report in The Times, with the possibility of her walking to church on Easter Sunday.

Meanwhile, Simon Lewis, the late Queen’s former communications secretary, told Sky News that William and Kate’s engagement on social media is a “Faustian bargain”.

“I think every single member of the Royal Family is very aware that the Royal Family must be visible and must be visible in a way that is contemporary. And I do think the use of social media by the members of the Royal Family has been absolutely spot on,” he said.

“It’s about long-term communication of what the institution stands for and what the members of the Royal Family are doing. And I think that requires a different kind of communication and also requires a different way of thinking about how stories unfold.”

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Royal Navy attack submarine warned off Russian spy ship from UK waters

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Royal Navy attack submarine warned off Russian spy ship from UK waters

A Royal Navy attack submarine surfaced close to a Russian spy ship off the UK coast in an extraordinary warning to stop spying on British undersea cables, the defence secretary has revealed.

John Healey, in a highly unusual statement to MPs, said the incident involving HMS Astute happened in November but the research vessel, called Yantar, then returned to UK waters this week.

To counter the first spying mission, he said he changed the navy’s rules of engagement to enable British warships and the submarines to get closer to vessel and better track its activities.

Defence Secretary John Healey arrives in Downing Street, London, for a Cabinet meeting. Picture date: Tuesday January 21, 2025.
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Defence Secretary John Healey. Pic: PA

In a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Healey said: “We see you. We know what you are doing. And we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.”

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It is very rare for the UK to reveal details about the movement of its top secret fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

A decision to tell parliament that one of the submarines had surfaced next to the surveillance vessel underlines the extreme seriousness that the UK views the Russian activity back in November and again this week.

More on John Healey

Mr Healey said the Russian ship had been used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure.

The UK and its NATO allies are increasingly concerned about the risk that President Putin’s country poses to offshore cables, pipelines and other infrastructure.

HMS Somerset flanking Russian ship Yantar near UK waters.
Pic: Royal Navy/PA
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HMS Somerset (bottom) flanking Russian ship Yantar near UK waters. File pic: Royal Navy/PA

Describing the most recent sighting, the defence secretary said Yantar entered the “UK exclusive economic zone about 45 miles off the British coast” on Monday.

He said that for the last two days, the Royal Navy has deployed Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset and patrol ship HMS Tyne to “monitor the vessel every minute through our waters”.

Navy rules of engagement changed

The defence secretary said he changed the navy’s rules of engagement so “our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar”.

He said the ship “has complied with international rules of navigation” and has since sailed into the North Sea.

Russia has said Yantar is an oceanographic research ship which is operated by its defence ministry.

RFA Proteus monitoring Russian ship Yanter in November 2024. 
Pic: Royal Navy/PA
Image:
RFA Proteus monitoring Russian ship Yanter in November 2024. Pic: Royal Navy/PA

Second incident in months

Mr Healey told the House of Commons it was the second time Yantar had entered British waters in recent months, after it was detected in November “loitering over critical undersea infrastructure”.

Back then, the Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine was used to warn off the spy ship.

‘Monitoring its every move’

RAF maritime patrol aircraft, minehunter HMS Cattistock, offshore patrol vessel HMS Tyne and surveillance ship RFA Proteus were also deployed “to shadow Yantar’s every movement”.

Mr Healey said: “I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move.

“The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean.”

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Mr Healey warned: “Russia remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain, and I want to assure the House and the British people that any threat will be met with strength and resolve.”

P-8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint spy planes will join the NATO operation to protect undersea cabling in the Baltic Sea, while RFA Proteus has also been deployed to monitor offshore infrastructure.

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Boy, 12, stabbed to death in Birmingham named – after 14-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder

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Boy, 12, stabbed to death in Birmingham named - after 14-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder

A 12-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed in Birmingham on Tuesday has been named by police as Leo Ross.

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the fatal stabbing in the Hall Green area of the city.

Police were called to the incident near Scribers Lane at about 3.40pm on Tuesday to reports of a 12-year-old boy who had been stabbed in the stomach.

Police officers at the scene near Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham.
Pic: PA
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Police officers near Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham. Pic: PA

Paramedics at the scene treated Leo, who was found by a member of the public, and he was taken to hospital but died hours later at about 7.30pm.

West Midlands Police said in a statement that Leo was a pupil at Christ Church C of E Secondary Academy.

Executive Headteacher Diane Henson described his death as a tragedy.

Leo Ross. Pic: West Midlands Police
Image:
Leo Ross. Pic: West Midlands Police

She said this afternoon: “Leo was a lively and happy young man. He had many very good friends who he absolutely adored, and they adored him.

“He was just a lovely and bright member of the school community. We’re supporting the children at school and are opening a book of condolence with the family’s permission.

“Our thoughts are with Leo’s family and all his friends today.”

A spokesman for the force said Leo’s family and school are now asking for their privacy to be respected.

The 14-year-old was arrested at 7pm on Tuesday at an address in Birmingham.

He remains in custody and police inquiries are continuing.

Chief Superintendent Richard North speaking to the media at the scene near Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham.
Pic: PA
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Chief Superintendent Richard North. Pic: PA

Chief superintendent Richard North, commander of Birmingham Local Policing Area, said in an update on Wednesday that the same teenager was also arrested in connection with an assault on a woman in her 80s on Sunday, in what he called an “unrelated matter”.

Mr North described the attack as an “absolutely appalling incident” and said detectives were “working round the clock” to get to the truth of what happened.

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The victim’s family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

Police have called for anyone who may know something about the incident to come forward and assist with inquiries.

A police officer at the scene on Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham.
Pic: PA
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An aerial view of the scene.
Pic: PA

A Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP), where members of the public can submit photos or video evidence, has been set up and can be reached at mipp.police.uk, the force added.

A police officer at the scene near Scribers Lane in the Hall Green area of Birmingham.
Pic: PA
Image:
Pic: PA

It comes a day after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said tougher measures would be introduced to tackle knife sales online after she revealed that Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was “easily able to order a knife on Amazon” when he was still aged 17 and had been convicted over violence.

She told MPs: “That’s a total disgrace and it must change. So, we will bring in stronger measures to tackle knife sales online in the Crime and Policing Bill this spring.”

The sale of knives with a fixed blade of more than three inches long to under-18s is illegal in England and Wales.

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Kyle Clifford pleads guilty to murders of racing commentator’s wife and daughters

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Kyle Clifford pleads guilty to murders of racing commentator's wife and daughters

A man has pleaded guilty to murdering the wife and two daughters of racing commentator John Hunt in a crossbow attack.

Kyle Clifford, 26, from Enfield, was accused of stabbing Carol Hunt, 61, to death and fatally shooting Louise, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28, with a crossbow at their family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on 9 July last year.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of an offensive weapon, alongside the murder charges. He denied one count of rape and will face a trial for this charge later in the year.

Kyle Clifford.
Pic: Hertfordshire Constabulary
Image:
Kyle Clifford. Pic: Hertfordshire Constabulary

Clifford had tied the arms and ankles of his former partner, Louise, with duct tape before he shot her through the chest with a crossbow bolt.

Her sister, Hannah, was found in the main doorway of the house with a crossbow bolt to the chest. She was still alive when police arrived at the property, having managed to call the emergency services, telling officers she feared she was going to die.

Their mother, Carol, sustained significant stab wounds to her knee, hands, back and torso after Clifford attacked her with a 10in butcher’s knife.

Following the deaths, Sky Sports and BBC racing commentator Mr Hunt said the devastation he and his surviving daughter Amy feel “cannot be put into words”.

Recap: How manhunt unfolded

Clifford, a former member of the military, became the subject of a manhunt for a number of hours before he was found injured in Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield. He had shot himself in the chest with the crossbow.

Kyle Clifford was discovered by police in Lavender Hill cemetery in Enfield, north London, on Wednesday following a large manhunt.
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Kyle Clifford was discovered by police in Lavender Hill cemetery in Enfield, north London, following a large manhunt

Following the attacks, the Home Office said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was urgently considering whether tougher crossbow laws were needed. But in the King’s Speech, which took place just days later, no proposal for action on the weapon was mentioned.

The previous government looked at bringing in firearms licensing-style rules in the wake of an attempt to kill the late Queen with a crossbow.

Read more: What the law says on crossbows

Carol Hunt pictured with her husband John Hunt.
Pic: Facebook
Image:
Carol Hunt pictured with her husband John Hunt. Pic: Facebook

There is currently no registration system for owning a crossbow, but it is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy or own one, and carrying one in public without reasonable excuse can be punished by up to four years in prison.

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