At the time, the pair were hosts on Sydney’s 2Day FM. Posing as the late Queen Elizabeth II and then-Prince Charles, they phoned King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, where Kate Middleton was being treated for severe morning sickness during her pregnancy with Prince George.
The prank call and its devastating consequences
The presenters’ impersonations convinced Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old mother of two, that she was speaking to members of the royal family. As a result, she transferred the call to the ward where the Princess of Wales was staying.
After later realising she had been deceived, Saldanha tragically took her own life.
According to The Times, one of the three notes she wrote before her death expressed anger toward the Australian DJs and blamed them for her decision.
Prince William’s letter to the family
Following the tragedy, Saldanha’s family shared the contents of a letter sent to them by Prince William, dated New Year’s Day 2013.
In the letter, the then-Duke of Cambridge spoke warmly about the care Kate had received at the hospital and expressed his condolences.
“It is unbelievably sad and we both extend to and your family our deepest condolences,” he wrote.