Nurse in Duchess Kate hoax dead in apparent suicide

Prince William and his wife, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, leave King Edward VII hospital in London on Dec. 6, 2012. / Getty

Updated 3:02 p.m. ET

A nurse who was on the receiving end of a hoax call seeking information about the Duchess of Cambridge's pregnancy was found dead Friday in an apparent suicide.

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British nurse who took prank call dead in apparent suicide

King Edward VII Hospital said Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found dead early Friday at apartments affiliated with the hospital in central London, where she worked for four years.

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Official on royal prank nurse's death

The death is being treated as unexplained, but police did not find anything suspicious. It will be up to a coroner to decide how she died.

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Kate, Duchess of Cambridge

"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends," hospital chief executive John Lofthouse said in a statement. "Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much loved and valued colleague."

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Prince William visits Kate at the hospital

2DayFM, the Australian station that performed the prank early Tuesday, said in a statement posted on Facebook and Twitter that two disc jockeys, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, would not return to the station until further notice. They had apologized for the hoax Wednesday.

Saldanha took the hoax call by the pair, who impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles to elicit information on the duchess, the hospital said. Saldanha later transferred the call to the nurse caring for the duchess, who was admitted to the hospital Monday with acute morning sickness.

St. James's Palace, the office of the duchess and her husband Prince William, also expressed sadness at the death, but insisted that it had not complained about the hoax.

"On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times," the palace said in a statement.

Saldanha's family asked for privacy in a statement issued through London police.

"We as a family are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved Jacintha," the statement said.

During the hoax call, a woman using the often-mimicked voice of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II asked about the duchess' health. The second nurse, who took the call from Saldanha, shared information about the former Kate Middleton's condition.

The nurse went on to tell the personalities that the duchess had had an uneventful night, as a dog barking sound was heard in the background. The alleged queen and prince talk about traveling to the hospital to check in on the patient.

The hospital said it supported Saldanha in the aftermath of the call and that its phone protocols were under review.

The Australian station placed the recording of the conversation on its website, but later said it was sorry.

"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," Greig and Christian said in a joint statement with the station at the time. "We're very sorry if we've caused any issues and we're glad to hear that Kate is doing well."

The station's chief executive officer, Rhys Holleran, had spoken with the presenters after the nurse's death, and that both were deeply shocked. The hosts "have decided that they will not return to their radio show until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy."

Christian's Twitter account has since been taken down.

Officials from St. James's Palace have said the duchess is not yet 12 weeks pregnant. The child would be the first for her and Prince William.

[tobycrane211]

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[UForgotPoland]

I don't understand, why did the nurse kill herself? Was she disciplined or fired or something? Either way, what a stupid reason to do it. Even if you did lose your job, life goes on.... Was she shamed be the royal family?

[wowseriously]

Hospitals around here use passwords for family memebers. If someone calls in wanting info on a patient they have to give a password. If they have no password, they get no info. I find it hard to believe that someone would kill themselves over this. Has to be more to the story.

[Enoughsenough]

Everything is getting too serious. It's awful that this lady (allegedly) took her own life but if she let something like this make a life/death decision for herself she was a few cards short of 52. I guess jokes should be illegal? Heck, talking should be illegal because anything you say might offend SOMEONE. People need to get over it, stop being so self absorbed and relax.

[Armchaircritic]

Lay off the young DJs - they have no "external locus of control". The person responsible for committing suicide is the person who committed suicide. She chose to leave her children without a mother, her husband without a wife. If she was so upset perhaps she should have gone home (to her family) instead of staying in London. In my personal experience suicide (in the absence of mental illness) is about inflicting maximum guilt, punishment and pain upon others - hurting the people who love you the most. Suicide is a supremely selfish act. Wasn't that long ago suicide was a crime! If this comment upsets anyone I suggest they get counselling.

[LLSLLS14]

Clearly you have no education or insight into mental health issues and suicide. Otherwise you would not be making such ignorant and cruel comments. Who gives YOU the right to make such harsh and disgusting judgments against this poor woman? I suggest YOU go get counseling immediately. Furthermore, you don't even know that when an RN takes her oath, she is agreeing to protect and care for her patients, their families, and their confidentiality. These 2 individuals, who were given the job as DJS, had the audacity to call a hospital while ON THE JOB and feign the identities of the royal family... criminal mischief is what it is. They should be brought up on charges in the highest court in the nation for raping the integrity of a system meant to care for, protect, and SAVE LIVES. The hospital administration should bring these 2 idiots DOWN and make them atone for the DEATH of this angel of mercy.

[Hot_Toddy]

People! People! Let's not extrapolate! If we jump to conclusions, they will pass a "No Fun Act" and we will never be allowed to play practical jokes again. Get a sense of humor. Your going to drive these poor DJs to suicide but that would be ok huh? In the end we all have to take responsibility for our own actions. I feel bad for the family. My aunt married a man who got drunk and shot himself while she was in the next room. She is so lost now. Everyone had to get their two cents in on why he did it. Everyone was blaming her. They couldn't very well blame the person who actually did it because it is not kosher to disrespect the dead.

[Nancy_Br]

Sun Dec 9 12 I wonder if the smart ***** CONSIDERED!!(being polite) this as a possible repercussion, their prank??? Were ratings REALLY that important????
What are the consequences of their actions???? loss of job? Murder charges?
My Sincere sympathies to the family of this woman.

[Nancy_Br]

Sun Dec 9 12 I wonder if the smart ***** CONSIDERED!!(being polite) this as a possible repercussion, their prank??? Were ratings REALLY that important????
What are the consequences of their actions???? loss of job? Murder charges?
My Sincere sympathies to the family of this woman.

[MadammGeeky]

The chairman of Southern Cross Austereo, the owner of 2Day FM, is: Max-Moore Wilton (ref: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20656911).

Who is he? He is the former head of ex-Prime-Minister John Howard's department. BUT WAIT!

Moore-Wilton was given the job as CEO of Sydney Aircraft Corporation Ltd (SACL) when Howard privatised it. What happened next? THIS happened:
www.expendable.tv/2011/09/transit-report-24-missing-records.html

They had 100% proof that Schapelle Corby's bag was tampered with at Sydney Airport, on Moore-Wilton's watch, just after privatization. It was the ONLY bag not scanned.

Absolutely vital evidence? Damn right it was.

Moore-Wilton, Justice Minister Ellison, AFP Commissioner Keelty, and Howard were the gang of four who definitely knew.

THEY NEVER TOLD HER!
When she asked the government for help, they never told her. They never told her lawyer, even when he asked directly about scanning four days later. They never told the Bali court. They watched her fry.

She is still there in a hell hole after NINE YEARS.

STILL they have never revealed it.

The Expendable Project got hold of those letters a year ago, but they remain unreported. The Australian establishment is too cowardly, too closed, and too corrupt to want to face it. 100% media blackout.

Just read the letters for yourself.

By the way, the baggage handlers on duty had lengthy criminal records, and were later exposed on another drug syndication crime. Seeing a picture here? See the rest of it here: www.expendable.tv

Sit down before you watch that, because it is brutal, jaw dropping, truth.

[Armchaircritic]

Huh?!

[JayneMoore]

What you have to realize is that it was the hospital putting pressure on her to resign and the royals were probably culpable also. These DJs should have realized the problems they would cause with this prank. I was an RN for years and I know this is how hospitals operate. Nothing is ever their fault it always falls to the nurses or other administrative personnel. This RN became frantic over the situation and did the only thing she could think of to stop the pain.