Featured

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

Australian radio hoaxers sorry for crank call to hospital treating Duchess of Cambridge

By: Danica Kirka, The Associated Press

Posted: 12/5/2012 6:02 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 12/5/2012 7:36 PM

Ladders from various media organisations are seen lined up as policemen stand guard outside the King Edward VII hospital where Kate Duchess of Cambridge is receiving treatment in central London, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012. Prince William and his wife Kate are expecting their first child, and the Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted to hospital suffering from a severe form of morning sickness in the early stages of her pregnancy. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

LONDON - Two Australian radio disc jockeys apologized Wednesday after impersonating Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in a prank call and getting a London hospital to tell them all about Kate Middleton's condition.

The King Edward VII hospital in London acknowledged that the Australian radio station made the hoax call to the hospital in the early hours Tuesday — and that the hospital fell for it.

The 30-year-old Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant and is being treated at the hospital for severe morning sickness.

A woman using the often-mimicked voice of Britain's monarch asked after the duchess' health — and was told by a nurse that Kate "hasn't had any retching with me and she's been sleeping on and off."

"She's sleeping at the moment and she has had an uneventful night. She's been given some fluids. She's stable at the moment," the kindly nurse informed the supposed queen and prince on the station's recording. A dog yaps in the background while the alleged queen and prince talk about travelling to the hospital to check in on the patient.

"I would suggest that any time after 9 o'clock will be suitable to visit," the nurse said. "We'll be getting her freshened up."

The duchess is married to the queen's grandson, Prince William.

The hospital says the call had been transferred to the ward and the conversation was held with one of its nursing staff. Its telephone protocols are now being reviewed, the hospital said in a statement.

The Australian station 2DayFM placed the recording of the conversation on its website.

Australian radio personalities Mel Greig and Michael Christian later apologized for the hoax — along with their station.

"We were very surprised that our call was put through. We thought we'd be hung up on as soon as they heard our terrible accents," they said in a joint statement with the station. "We're very sorry if we've caused any issues and we're glad to hear that Kate is doing well."

The duchess is spending her third day in the hospital. William visited his wife at the hospital on Wednesday, while media from around the world camped outside, seeking any news on the royal pregnancy.

Officials from St. James's Palace have said the duchess is not yet 12 weeks pregnant with the couple's first child.

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Featured

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.