Saldanha was living in staff accommodation at King Edward VII Hospital. She received the call from Sydney’s 2Day FM presenters Melanie Greig and Michael Christian last Tuesday, who pretended to be the Queen and Prince Charles in order to ask about the Duchess of Cambridge’s health status.
The hoax was touted as the ‘Biggest Royal Prank Ever’ by the station, before details about the apparent suicide of senior nurse Jacintha Saldanha who worked at the private hospital emerged on Friday.
A suicide note was found yesterday. Mrs Saldanha’s family believe there are “unexplained circumstances”.
A Home Office pathologist has been working to determine the cause of death.
Stating that there was no complaint made to the King Edward VII hospital about the prank call, a St James’s Palace spokesman said “On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses and hospital staff.”
Labour MP Keith Vaz has called for an inquiry into the nurse’s death and said “The family should be given the full facts. That’s what they need at this time…We need to know the facts, fully and clearly. There are unexplained circumstances. The family were in the dark.”
Main image: Getty
