Austrailian radio hosts apologize for crank call to Kate's hospital

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, smiles and waves to the crowds from the balcony of Cambridge Guildhall on Nov. 28, 2012, during an official visit to Cambridge, England. / Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Two Australian radio disc jockeys apologized Wednesday after impersonating Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in a prank call and getting a London hospital to tell them about the Duchess of Cambridge's condition.

The King Edward VII hospital acknowledged that the Australian radio station made the hoax call to the hospital in the early hours Tuesday -- and that the hospital fell for it.

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Kate, Duchess of Cambridge

Kate, 30, is pregnant and is being treated at the hospital for severe morning sickness.

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Can you spot Kate's baby bump?

A woman using the often-mimicked voice of Britain's monarch asked after the duchess' health -- and a nurse divulged information to the supposed royals about her condition.

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Radio station prank calls Duchess Kate's hospital, pretends to be the Queen

A dog yaps in the background while the alleged queen and prince talk about traveling to the hospital to check in on the patient.

"I would suggest that any time after 9 o'clock will be suitable to visit," the nurse said. "We'll be getting her freshened up."

The duchess is married to the queen's grandson, Prince William.

The hospital released the following statement about the incident: "King Edward VII's Hospital Sister Agnes can confirm that an Australian radio station made a hoax call to the hospital in the early hours of Tuesday morning. This call was transferred through to a ward and a short conversation was held with one of the nursing staff. King Edward VII's Hospital deeply regrets this incident."

John Lofthouse, chief executive at King Edward VII's Hospital, also said: "This was a foolish prank call that we all deplore. We take patient confidentiality extremely seriously and we are now reviewing our telephone protocols."

The Australian station 2DayFM placed the recording of the conversation on its website.

Australian radio personalities Mel Greig and Michael Christian later apologized for the hoax -- along with their station.

"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," they said in a joint statement with the station. "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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Prince William visits Kate at the hospital

The duchess is spending her third day in the hospital. William visited his wife at the hospital on Wednesday, while media from around the world camped outside, seeking any news on the royal pregnancy. Kate's sister, Pippa Middleton, and brother James Middleton were also photographed leaving the hospital that day.

Officials from St. James's Palace have said the duchess is not yet 12 weeks pregnant with the couple's first child. On Tuesday, a palace spokesperson said that Kate is "continuing to feel better."

[queenofclubs]

Too little too late, I say. About the only decent terrestial radio stations in America are National Public Radio or the stations that have Classical Music, Jazz or religious music formats. (NPR). Otherwise, it seems the world over that Radio today is an absolute wasteland. The DJs are mostly obnoxious shock jocks who deliberately want to be offensive or emotionally immature overaged adolescents out for a cheap laugh. Where are the competent professionals out there who bring us genuine entertainment and useful news and information?

[respitepls]

I hope they are charged and the family sues the radio station and the DJ's. The need to be held accountable for their actions. A "sorry" just doesn't cut it.

[respitepls]

I don't care what they would have gotten from you! You're an asshat just like they are.

[LOrionmd]

BUT NOW THEY are guilty of MURDER! Nurse in Duchess Kate hoax dead in apparent suicide http://*******.com/bgo8wmc

[ralphing]

That nurse didn't break any rules, so there was no reason for her to blame herself. The second nurse is the one who released information about Kate. She is the only one who could get into trouble abut this.

[Bojax39]

"Austrailian radio hosts apologize for crank call to Kate's hospital"

How very good of them. Can they also raise the dead?

Still, how were these guys to know that nurse had such a low tipping point?

[ShiggyDiggy]

Time to criminalize and ban prank phone calls, tv shows, and youtube videos.

[Jonseen]

**Not so funny** now that the nurse involved has died of apparent suicide! "Prank" used to be a fairly innocent term for humorous hijinx, but in the past decade pranks have become much more dangerous and even sinister. I thought this was a very offensive trick, and apparently there are now some very tragic consequences.

[signseeker1717]

This "prank" was deception by impersonation to get medical information that is only intended to be released to relatives. If it's not illegal, it's certainly unethical.

Whether "offensive" or not, if a prank HURTS someone, it isn't funny. And this "prank" has had negative consequences, not just a possible connection to a suicide, but outcries from other quarters about it's inappropriateness.

I don't think too many people are still laughing, if there were that many to begin with.

[robert1129]

Talk show hosts have always, as a group, had the impression that they were above the law and proper decency. These two guys should be fired immediately from their jobs.

[mollysmop7]

We laugh at them too...Do they speak English down there?????

[mollysmop7]

Aussie's are FUNNY people...They are called "walk-about-Royals", which means, they don't get IMPRESSED by what happens in England...After all England gave Australia the "wipe" when they turned their backs on them, when the UK joined the European Union, way back when...I thought they put the British accent on GOOD, sounded like the Queen to me..Bark, bark, bark....