BBC apologises to Princess Catherine following backlash over what they called her

The BBC has issued an apology to Kate Middleton after they received a wave of backlash for what they called her during their Armistice Day coverage.

Before you jump to any conclusions, no they didn’t call the Princess of Wales, 43, any awful and shocking names – they simply used her name ‘Kate Middleton’ instead of her royal title ‘Princess of Wales’, which she’s held since King Charles III took the throne back in 2022.

While this might not seem like a big deal, it’s actually a hotly debated subject that gets some very strong reactions out of fans.

People often flip between Kate, Catherine, The Princess of Wales, and Catherine Princess of Wales – the mother-of-three is a woman of many names.

The backlash began on 11 November when a BBC presenter referred to Kate by her given name during the network’s live coverage of Veterans Day.

On Armistice Day, Kate led a moment of silence at the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) — On Armistice Day, Kate led a moment of silence at the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire

Clips of this happening were quickly plastered all over social media and the criticism came rolling in, with some people arguing that it was unacceptable to call her Kate Middleton.

One Twitter user brutally penned: “I am glad that @BBC got national backlash for referring to Catherine Elizabeth, HRH The Princess of Wales as Kate Middleton.”

A second furiously agreed: “I have just watched BBC News calling Catherine the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton. It is disrespectful to use her maiden name and had previously asked that her name Catherine be used.”

And a third penned: “The presenter on BBC news has referred to the Princess of Wales as Kate Middleton three times now. You’d think the BBC would at least get her name right.”

After the widespread backlash, the BBC issued a statement on its website, apologising for the ‘errors’.

The broadcaster said: “We received complaints from people unhappy that we didn’t use the Princess of Wales’s correct title during our coverage of Armistice Day.

The BBC has issued a statement following the backlash (Chris Jackson/Getty Images) — The BBC has issued a statement following the backlash

“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.”

The statement continued: “Throughout our Armistice Day coverage more broadly, we referred to Catherine by her correct title.”

Now, after even more attention has been drawn to the matter, it’s sparked quite the debate on the whole debacle and what we should actually be calling the royal.

Baffled by the whole thing, one Twitter user wrote: “Bwaaaaa!!! More burst blood veins as the BBC refers to Kate Middleton as Kate Middleton. Imagine being upset because someone was addressed by their name.”

Meanwhile, someone else added: “I will forever call her Kate Middleton.”