This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies described in our Cookies Policy.
You may change your settings at any time but this may impact on the functionality of the site.
To learn more see our Cookies Policy.
THE HOSPITAL TREATING Prince William’s pregnant wife Catherine for severe morning sickness admitted that it fell victim to a hoax call from an Australian radio station.
Presenters from Sydney’s 2Day FM station, posing as Queen Elizabeth II and William’s father Prince Charles, managed to get through to a nurse who gave an update on Kate’s status, saying she had not experienced any recent “retching”.
The private King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, where 30-year-old Kate was admitted on Monday, confirmed that a nurse discussed Kate’s condition and said it “deeply regrets” the incident, which happened in the early hours yesterday.
Hoax
The hoax is deeply embarrassing for the hospital, which has also treated the queen, her husband Prince Philip and Charles’ wife Camilla over the years. Queen Elizabeth is its patron.
“This was a foolish prank call that we all deplore,” said the hospital’s chief executive John Lofthouse.
Prince William leaves the King Edward VII hospital yesterday evening after spending the day with his wife Kate. (Jeff Moore/Jeff Moore/Empics Entertainment)
2Day FM presenter Mel Greig, impersonating the 86-year-old monarch, dialled the hospital and asked the operator: “Could I please speak to Kate, please, my grand-daughter.”
The operator replied: “Oh yes, just hold on, Ma’am.”
The call was put on hold and Greig’s co-presenter Michael Christian asked incredulously: “Are they putting us through? If this has worked, it’s the easiest prank call we’ve ever made. Your accent sucked, by the way.”
Advertisement
Greig was put through to a ward where a nurse told her that Kate was “sleeping at the moment and she has had an uneventful night”.
The nurse added: “She’s been given some fluids to rehydrate her because she was quite dehydrated when she came in. But she’s stable at the moment.”
Greig replied, “Oh well, I’ll just feed my little corgis, then,” while two of her colleagues made barking noises in an impression of the queen’s corgi dogs.
“So, when is a good time to come and visit her?” Greig went on. “Because I’m the queen so I need a lift down there.”
Freshened up
The nurse suggested any time after 9 am would be all right, after Kate had “freshened up”.
“She hasn’t had any retching with me since I’ve been on duty and she has been sleeping on and off,” she added.
A spokesman from William and Kate’s St James’s Palace office declined to comment.
Meanwhile William, second in line to the throne behind Charles, was back at his wife’s bedside on for a third day.
Kate is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness that affects about one in 200 pregnant women.
Thursday 7 November, 2024
Thursday 7 November, 2024
Download our app
Hospital treating pregnant Kate falls for prank call from queen
THE HOSPITAL TREATING Prince William’s pregnant wife Catherine for severe morning sickness admitted that it fell victim to a hoax call from an Australian radio station.
Presenters from Sydney’s 2Day FM station, posing as Queen Elizabeth II and William’s father Prince Charles, managed to get through to a nurse who gave an update on Kate’s status, saying she had not experienced any recent “retching”.
The private King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, where 30-year-old Kate was admitted on Monday, confirmed that a nurse discussed Kate’s condition and said it “deeply regrets” the incident, which happened in the early hours yesterday.
Hoax
The hoax is deeply embarrassing for the hospital, which has also treated the queen, her husband Prince Philip and Charles’ wife Camilla over the years. Queen Elizabeth is its patron.
“This was a foolish prank call that we all deplore,” said the hospital’s chief executive John Lofthouse.
2Day FM presenter Mel Greig, impersonating the 86-year-old monarch, dialled the hospital and asked the operator: “Could I please speak to Kate, please, my grand-daughter.”
The operator replied: “Oh yes, just hold on, Ma’am.”
The call was put on hold and Greig’s co-presenter Michael Christian asked incredulously: “Are they putting us through? If this has worked, it’s the easiest prank call we’ve ever made. Your accent sucked, by the way.”
Greig was put through to a ward where a nurse told her that Kate was “sleeping at the moment and she has had an uneventful night”.
The nurse added: “She’s been given some fluids to rehydrate her because she was quite dehydrated when she came in. But she’s stable at the moment.”
Greig replied, “Oh well, I’ll just feed my little corgis, then,” while two of her colleagues made barking noises in an impression of the queen’s corgi dogs.
“So, when is a good time to come and visit her?” Greig went on. “Because I’m the queen so I need a lift down there.”
Freshened up
The nurse suggested any time after 9 am would be all right, after Kate had “freshened up”.
“She hasn’t had any retching with me since I’ve been on duty and she has been sleeping on and off,” she added.
A spokesman from William and Kate’s St James’s Palace office declined to comment.
Meanwhile William, second in line to the throne behind Charles, was back at his wife’s bedside on for a third day.
Kate is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness that affects about one in 200 pregnant women.
The baby will be third in line to the throne.
- © AFP, 2012
Read: Royal baby: William and Kate are having a baby >
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Hoax Kate Kate Middleton Kate pregnant Phone prank Prank prank phonecall Prince Charles Prince William Queen Elizabeth UK Hospital Will william