General

Nurse involved in hoax phone call to Duchess Kate found dead

Reports say the woman may have committed suicide

One of the staff members involved in a prank phone call made to Kate, duchess of Cambridge, while she was in hospital has died, King Edward VII hospital in London confirmed Friday.

The woman, who is reported to be the nurse who was working at hospital reception, was found dead at a London address near the hospital, reports The Guardian.

According to another report in the Daily Mail, police suspect that the woman may have committed suicide.

The hospital identified the woman as Jacintha Saldanha, a mother of two. “Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII Hospital for more than four years,” says the statement. “She was an excellent nurse and well respected and popular with all over her colleagues.”

The call in question occurred on Dec. 5 when two Australian radio hosts pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles called the hospital and were transferred to a nurse on Kate’s ward. That nurse then gave out confidential information about Kate’s condition.

The hosts later apologized for their actions. “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,” said host Michael Christian, who pretended to be Prince Charles. “We’re very sorry if we’ve caused any issues and we’re glad to hear that Kate is doing well.”

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