The BBC got backlash after referring to to Kate Middleton by her given name instead of the "Princess of Wales."
The network has issued a public apology.
Experts have explained why the princess is called "Kate Middleton" in the United States.
Looks like the BBC has officially issued an apology for referring to Kate Middleton as "Kate Middleton" instead of the "Princess of Wales," which has been her official title since 2022.
In case you missed it, the network got backlash after a presenter used Kate's given name during coverage of Veteran's Day.
BBC called her Kate Middleton today & the meltdown is quite funny😂😂😂😂They are cancelling their tv licenses😂pic.twitter.com/wineatrz1q
— SK 💃🏾🕺 (@Rimmesfk)November 11, 2025
Side note before we get into the BBC's response: the Princess of Wales is typically referred to as "Kate Middleton" instead of her formal title—especially in the United States. Back in 2016, Boston University professor Arianne Chernock toldVanity Fairthat "it doesn't hurt her that the American press especially refers to her as Kate Middleton. It's precisely her middle-class origins, and that name, which won her over to so many people in the first place. So that reminder can only help her."
Pivoting back to the BBC, theyreportedlyissued the following statement of apology:
"We received complaints from people unhappy that we didn't use the Princess of Wales's correct title during our coverage of Armistice Day. 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 apologize. Throughout our Armistice Day coverage more broadly, we referred to Catherine by her correct title."
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