Suicide Eyed in Death of Nurse Who Fell for 'Queen' Prank

She put call through to Kate Middleton's nurse
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 7, 2012 9:45 AM CST
Suicide Eyed in Death of Nurse Who Fell for 'Queen' Prank
Britain's Prince William stand next to his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge as she leaves the King Edward VII hospital in central London, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012.   (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

That funny story of a couple of hospital workers who fell for a prank call from "the queen," allowing two radio DJs to speak to Kate Middleton's nurse, is now a tragic story: The receptionist who answered the call and put it through to Middleton's nurse was found dead this morning just yards from King Edward VII Hospital, where she worked, and authorities suspect she committed suicide. Jacintha Saldanha, a wife and mother of two, was actually a nurse who was answering phones at the time.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are deeply saddened to learn of the death," said a St. James' Palace spokesperson in a statement. "Their royal highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII hospital." Officially, the death is still being treated as "unexplained," and the cause is still unclear. The radio station had apologized for the prank, but the two DJs involved were still boasting about it on Twitter today, the Daily Mail reports. Earlier this week, the hospital had been considering legal action against the radio station, the Guardian reports. (More Kate Middleton stories.)

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