The nurse receptionist who transferred the Kate Middleton hoax phone call from Australian radio DJs claiming to be the Queen was found dead this morning from an apparent suicide near the King Edward VII Hospital where she worked. Jacintha Saldanha, mother of two and a nurse at the hospital for the past four years, was found around 9:30am. Paramedics on the scene attempted to revive her but were unsuccessful.

In case you are not up to date, the newly pregnant Kate Middleton was recently hospitalized after suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (aka severe morning sickness) and during her stay at King Edward VII Hospital, Kate’s room received a mysterious phone call from someone claiming to be The Queen. The call turned out to be a hoax by on-air personalities Mel Greig and Michael Christian from Australia’s 2Day FM radio show, but the receptionist on duty (Saldanha) transferred the call without realizing it. Kate’s personal nurse then nervously explained Kate’s condition to who she thought was The Queen.

Hours after the incident, the station issued an apology which read, “”We were very surprised that our call was put through. We thought we’d be hung up on as soon as they heard our terrible accents. We’re very sorry if we’ve caused any issues and we’re glad to hear that Kate is doing well.”


Kate Middleton prank callers Mel Greig (left) and Michael Christian

Following the woman’s death, the station apologized for “any inconvenience caused” but continued to air audio clips of the hoax, calling it “the prank call the world is talking about” which caused all sorts of backlash and eventually lead to DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian (the “Queen” and “King”) deleting their Twitter accounts.

Both Kate Middleton and Prince William were “deeply saddened” to hear of the tragedy “Their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time,” a Palace spokesperson said. When asked if they had expressed concern over the incident, the spokesperson explained that they hadn’t even filed a complaint about the misunderstanding and added, “On the contrary we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times.”

The hospital released this statement about Saldanha’s death:

“It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha. Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII’s Hospital for more than four years. She was an excellent nurse and well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues.

“We can confirm that Jacintha was recently the victim of a hoax call to the hospital. The hospital had been supporting her throughout this difficult time.

“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends. Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much loved and valued colleague.”

Read more at http://starcasm.net/archives/186066#JvLP4FwO95tR6DmO.99

This is so crazy. I am so curious if she had other issues going on or if this lapse in judgement was so huge that she feared what would happen to her.

Call me crazy, but I'm not so quick to think she wasn't helped. I think the Royal Family could have as many shady people at its dispatch as the Mafia and for some of the same reasons.

Supernova wrote:

Call me crazy, but I'm not so quick to think she wasn't helped. I think the Royal Family could have as many shady people at its dispatch as the Mafia and for some of the same reasons.

I've always thought that could be entirely possible. Not sure about this instance, though.

RedBedroom wrote:

This is so crazy. I am so curious if she had other issues going on or if this lapse in judgement was so huge that she feared what would happen to her.

You are probably right Red.

The nurse she relayed the call to apparently actually gave out some info on Kate, so why would any one help kill the first nurse all she did was push buttons to the 2nd nurse? If someone was going to help a nurse out of this life wouldn't it be the one who gave out the private info?

Suzi wrote:

The nurse she relayed the call to apparently actually gave out some info on Kate, so why would any one help kill the first nurse all she did was push buttons to the 2nd nurse? If someone was going to help a nurse out of this life wouldn't it be the one who gave out the private info?

Well if she wasn't the one who actually leaked the information, it doesn't make much sense for her to kill herself either.

Supernova wrote:

Call me crazy, but I'm not so quick to think she wasn't helped. I think the Royal Family could have as many shady people at its dispatch as the Mafia and for some of the same reasons.

OK, you're crazy.

Alan Smithee wrote:

OK, you're crazy.

Ppl kill themselves all the time and this incident isn't worth provoking suicide unless she had other issues going on as well. It may have been an opportune catalyst to what would eventually happen over something else.

Shale wrote:

Ppl kill themselves all the time and this incident isn't worth provoking suicide unless she had other issues going on as well. It may have been an opportune catalyst to what would eventually happen over something else.

It's terribly sad but this woman probably had other issues going on & this incident which wasn't some earth shattering thing but just an embarrassment was enough to give her the nudge that was probably waiting to happen anyway. I seriously doubt there was anything sinister here. She was probably just a very sad disturbed woman who allowed the public embarrassment to overwhelm her.

Wouldn't it be cool if her death was a hoax to get back at the two DJs?

No matter who is responsible for this, it seems a bit overdramatic.

Alan Smithee wrote:

Wouldn't it be cool if her death was a hoax to get back at the two DJs?

I don't think we'd get that lucky though. Though that sounds like something off of The Golden Palace.

Supernova wrote:

I don't think we'd get that lucky though. Though that sounds like something off of The Golden Palace.

I'll have to take your word for that. If you're talking about The Golden Girls spin off (I had to look it up) I had never heard of it. I didn't watch The Golden Girls either.

She was obviously bat shit already. Who kills themselves over something as ridiculous as this?

Before the cause of death is even determined? Suckers.

Quote :

LONDON — A radio station is to pay at least $525,000 to a memorial fund in the name of a nurse found dead after two DJs duped her into putting their call through to the hospital ward where Duchess Kate was being treated for an extreme form of morning sickness.

Jacintha Saldanha was found dead in London on Friday after the prank in which Australian radio hosts Mel Greig and Michael Christian pretended to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles in the call to London’s King Edward VII’s Hospital.

Greig and Christian spoke Monday about their distress over Saldanha’s death, saying it had left them "shattered, gutted, heartbroken."

Police have said the circumstances of the death are "unexplained"; an autopsy was due to be carried out Tuesday.

A statement posted on the website of radio station 2Day FM’s parent company, Southern Cross Austereo, said that advertising on the station would resume Dec. 13. It was suspended as news of Saldanha’s death caused widespread outrage.

The company said that all profits made from the ads until the end of the year would be donated to "an appropriate fund that will directly benefit the family of Jacintha Saldanha."

"A minimum contribution of $500,000 [Australian, about $525,000 U.S.] will be made. SCA today reiterates its deep regret for what has taken place in these tragic and unforeseen circumstances and offers its condolences to the family of Jacintha Saldanha," the statement added.

The company’s chief executive, Rhys Holleran, was quoted as saying the company was "very sorry for what has happened."

A statement from the hospital’s chairman, Lord Glenarthur, welcomed news that Southern Cross Media Group was "set to make a sizeable donation to the family."

The hospital has set up the "Jacintha Saldanha Memorial Fund to benefit her husband and children at this difficult time."

"I am pleased to announce that many donations have already been made from around the world," Lord Glenarthur said. "I have today read that Southern Cross Media Group have pledged to make a minimum donation of $500,000 Australian Dollars to an appropriate fund. We would certainly welcome such a donation to the Jacintha Saldanha Memorial Fund."

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/11/15841365-royal-prank-radio-station-to-pay-525000-to-family-of-dead-nurse

Maybe I am in the minority, but I feel for the DJs. They didn't plan anything like this. Countless DJs do prank phone calls. Can you imagine...they were celebrated for the prank the day it happened. Then, this suicide happened and they have lost so much.