Austrailian radio hosts apologize for crank call to Kate's hospital
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.
Kate, 30, is pregnant and is being treated at the hospital for severe morning sickness.
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.
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."
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."