London: The BBC has reportedly apologised to the Princess of Wales after a series of on-air slip-ups during its Armistice Day and Remembrance Day broadcasts drew criticism from MPs and viewers.

In a statement released on November 14, the corporation acknowledged it had “received complaints from people unhappy that we didn’t use the Princess of Wales’s correct title during our coverage of Armistice Day”. It added, “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.”

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Presenter Rajini Vaidyanathan was fronting the broadcast, as per media reports.

The errors prompted swift backlash, with MPs accusing the broadcaster of disrespect. Jim Shannon, MP for Strangford, posted on X to remind the BBC that the Princess “has not been ‘Kate Middleton’ since 2011”, adding, “Get it right.”

Catherine became the Duchess of Cambridge on her marriage to Prince William in 2011 and assumed the title Princess of Wales in 2022, when King Charles conferred the titles upon the couple following Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

Despite the formal change, the Princess continues to be widely referred to by her maiden name in parts of the media, particularly in the US and online, where “Kate Middleton” remains the most commonly searched term associated with her. A recent Google Trends analysis reportedly showed the maiden name significantly outpacing searches for “Princess Catherine” and “Catherine, Princess of Wales”.

Some viewers dismissed the BBC’s apology as insufficient, with several suggesting the mistakes were intentional. Others argued the broadcaster had assumed the misnomer would go unchallenged.

During the Remembrance weekend, the Princess took part in the traditional commemorations, observing a minute’s silence and laying a wreath accompanied by a handwritten message signed “Catherine”. The message read, “In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we will remember them.”

Why did the BBC apologise to Trump?

The incident marks the second apology issued by the BBC in as many days. On November 13, the broadcaster expressed regret to US President Donald Trump after he accused it of misleadingly editing footage of his January 6, 2021 speech.

However, BBC denied defaming him, dismissing the basis of his $1 billion lawsuit threat. 

The BBC said there were no plans to rebroadcast the programme, produced by a third-party company.

The controversy prompted the resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News Chief Deborah Turness, who said they were stepping down as the scandal had caused serious damage to the broadcaster’s credibility.