Sorry to the Future Queen! BBC Apologizes to Kate Middleton After Broadcaster Gets 'National Backlash' for 'Disrespectful' Mistake
The BBC has apologized to Kate Middleton for using her incorrect name during Remembrance Day coverage.
Nov. 17 2025, Published 12:56 p.m. ET
The BBC has found itself in hot water... again.
Days after issuing an apology to Donald Trump for a misleading edit of his January 6th speech, the network was forced to apologize to Kate Middleton after receiving national backlash for using her incorrect title, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The "disrespectful" moment took place during Remembrance Day coverage.
BBC 'Disrespects' Future Queen
The BBC referred to the Princess of Wales as 'Kate Middleton' during Remembrance Day coverage.
During the solemn coverage on Tuesday, November 11, the BBC referred to Prince William's wife by her maiden name, which she has not formally used since they tied the knot in 2011.
The error immediately sparked backlash on social media.
Jim Shannon, a Member of Parliament for Strangford, slammed the network in an X post, writing: "A reminder to @BBCNews to educate its broadcasters that the Princess of Wales has not been 'Kate Middleton' since 2011. Her correct title is Catherine, Princess of Wales. Get it right."
A second user remarked: "Who is the moron calling the Princess of Wales 'Kate Middleton' on BBC News?"
Social media users slammed the network for being 'disrespectful' to the future queen.
Another said: "Can somebody have a word in the ear of your reporter at the National Memorial Arboretum – she should not be referring to the Princess of Wales as 'Kate Middleton'!!"
And a fourth added: "Perhaps it shows you how many people care about truth rather than the countless fabrications the BBC put out on a daily basis. Also their disrespect to our monarchy, only last week referring to the Princess of Wales as Kate Middleton despite her being married 14 years ago."
Amid backlash, the BBC responded to "complaints from people unhappy that we didn't use the Princess of Wales’s correct title during our coverage of Armistice Day."
BBC's Response to 'Unhappy People'
The BBC apologized following an overwhelming amount of complaints from 'unhappy' viewers.
The BBC apology stated: "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."
Despite the BBC's apology, social media users still weren't happy – and many accused the network of deliberately using the princess' maiden name as they refused to believe it was a simple error.
One X user wrote: "A mistake is once. This was deliberately intended to diminish her."
Another added: "It wasn't a mistake, they knew what they were doing, they just didn't think anyone would call them out on it."
A third said: "Another 'mistake/error' from the Beeb...it was DELIBERATE! Unbelievable gaslighting and the apology was long overdue."
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The princess hasn't used her maiden name since 2011 when she married Prince William.
While she's still known to many in the U.S. as her maiden name, Kate changed her name to Catherine when she married William and officially became the Duchess of Cambridge.
In 2022, her father-in-law King Charles III proclaimed his eldest son and his wife would be known as the Prince and Princess of Wales.
During the same proclamation, William also assumed the titles of Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. Because of their marriage, Kate was given the female versions of the titles as well.
