The UK’s privacy watchdog said it has concluded a criminal investigation into medical information obtained without permission and offered to a third party for financial gain—stemming from a breach linked to Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis and care in early 20
Trooping the Colour brought the royal family back into public view in London, but behind the ceremonial music a different kind of disruption surfaced months earlier: medical records that were allegedly accessed and then shopped for money.
On Wednesday. June 17. the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office said it had finished a criminal investigation into medical information illegally obtained and disclosed to a third party during a breach reported by the London Clinic in March 2024. The inquiry resulted in the ICO issuing a formal caution to “a now former healthcare professional from London.”.
“The conduct involved the deliberate misuse of highly sensitive personal information and an offer to disclose it for financial gain, representing a clear breach of trust,” the watchdog said.
The ICO did not name 44-year-old Kate in its announcement. However, the BBC, The Guardian and other outlets reported that the breach was related to the royal’s medical records.
The London Clinic is where the Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery in January 2024, two months before she went public with her cancer diagnosis. King Charles, her father-in-law, was also treated at the private hospital in central London.
In addition to the caution, the ICO said it concluded “that a caution was the appropriate and proportionate enforcement response.” Based on its findings, the watchdog said the incident did not indicate widespread “failings that would meet the threshold for regulatory enforcement.”
Even with that enforcement boundary drawn, the case has landed squarely on a question that remains emotionally charged for anyone following Kate’s journey: who should have access to medical details, and what happens when trust is turned into a transaction.
Kate has kept most of the details of her cancer battle private. but she has shared occasional glimpses into how the experience has felt. In January 2025, she announced with “relief” that her cancer was in remission. On Feb. 4—World Cancer Day—Kate posted a video on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ social media accounts. In it, she said cancer journeys are not “linear.”.
“There are moments of fear and exhaustion. But also moments of strength, kindness and profound connection,” she said.
With the ICO’s criminal investigation now closed and the caution issued. the breach described in March 2024 has moved from active enforcement to a completed probe—leaving the public with one lasting effect: the reminder that sensitive health information can still be vulnerable long after a diagnosis becomes public.
Princess Kate medical records breach London Clinic Information Commissioner's Office ICO privacy watchdog UK healthcare cancer diagnosis financial gain