A nurse who fell victim to a prank telephone call seeking information about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge has died, the London hospital where she worked has confirmed. The King Edward VII hospital said nurse Jacintha Saldanha took the hoax call by two Australian radio disc jockeys who impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles early Tuesday to elicit private information on the duchess’s condition. Saldanha later transferred the call, from the Sydney-based 2Day FM DJs, to the nurse caring for the duchess, who is suffering from acute morning sickness.
That second nurse spoke freely about her 30-year-old patient, one of the world’s most photographed women. Saldanha was found dead early Friday. Police were not treating the death of Jacintha Saldanha as suspicious, a Scotland Yard spokesman said. “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends,” said John Lofthouse, the hospital’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much-loved and valued colleague.” St James’s Palace, which speaks for Prince William, the duchess’ husband, also expressed sadness about the nurse’s death, but insisted that it had not complained about the hoax.