Starmer says people should 'butt out' of Kate Middleton's private life and leave her alone

Sir Keir Starmer said that people should "butt out" of the Princess of Wales' private life while she recovers from abdominal surgery.

Responding to wild rumours which have circulated online about her whereabouts, the Labour leader said people should "leave her alone".

Speaking on Channel 5's Jeremy Vine show on Thursday, Sir Keir was asked if he felt sorry for Kate, to which he responded "yes".

“She’s had a difficult operation, and she deserves privacy," he said.

He added: “We should just butt out and leave her alone… That’s not really a political response, it’s a human response, as a dad and a human being.”

Kate underwent abdominal surgery in January and hasn't carried out any official engagements since Christmas Day.

On Tuesday, it was reported that staff at The London Clinic were being investigated over allegedly accessing Kate's private medical records.

ITV News understands three members of staff are currently being investigated.

Kate has been told about the potential data breach as patients are always informed if there are any suspicions that their private medical records have been shared or accessed in an unauthorised manner.

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The King was also being treated at The London Clinic at the same time as Kate, but ITV News also understands that his personal data was not compromised during the alleged breach.

The Chief Executive of the London Clinic, Al Russell, issued a statement: “There is no place at our hospital for those who intentionally breach the trust of any of our patients or colleagues.

“We take enormous pride in the outstanding care and discretion we aim to deliver for all our patients that put their trust in us every day.

"We have systems in place to monitor management of patient information and, in the case of any breach, all appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken," Mr Russell added.

Asked about the number of staff who are under investigation, a spokesperson for The London Clinic said they would not comment other than to say “all our patients, no matter what their status, deserve total privacy and confidentiality regarding their personal medical information”.

Kate issued an apology last week after she admitted to "editing" a Mother's Day family photograph which prompted widespread public speculation.

Kate said she was sorry for any "confusion" caused by the image, which showed herself alongside her three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8 and Prince Louis, 5.

The Princess of Wales was then seen at her local farm shop on Saturday, and a video was published in the Sun newspaper on Tuesday.

Rumours have continued to spiral online around that video clip, fueling further hysteria and conspiracy theories.

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