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Vogue magazine gives a complete guide to Kate Middleton for those seeking to emulate the Duchess of Cambridge’s style.
From the diameter of Kate Middleton’s curls to the number of teeth she shows when she smiles, nothing has escaped the Vogue’s scrutiny.
Ahead of her 31st birthday tomorrow, Vogue has analyzed outfits the duchess has worn since her marriage to Prince William in April 2011, plus a handful from before the couple’s engagement – 100 in total.
So to be a true copy Kate Middleton, you should wear blue, ensure the average drop of your earrings is 33 mm – and carry your clutch bag with both hands.
According to Vogue’s guide, when it comes to her clothes, Kate Middleton’s favorite color appears to be blue, which she has worn on 24% of occasions.
From peacock to Prussian, it is her out and out favorite.
The Duchess of Cambridge also favors red (13%) – which she wore for the occasion of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant – followed by white (12%) and, less popularly with the public, grey (11%).
Next on the list is purple (9%), multi colored or patterned outfits (8%) pink (7%) and green (6%).
Cream and yellow both languish at the bottom of the league table on 5%.
By far and away most outfits worn on her last 100 official engagements come from top end High Street store LK Bennett – worn on 28 public engagements.
But designer Alexander McQueen, whose outfits cost several thousand pounds apiece and who the Duchess chose to design her wedding dress, is her next favorite label with 14.
Vogue magazine gives a complete guide to Kate Middleton for those seeking to emulate the Duchess of Cambridge’s style
Other designers in Kate Middleton’s top five are Jenny Packham (6), who has designed some of her most stunning evening dresses, and Temperley (8).
Once the high street Queen, Zara languishes at seven (probably because the firm have a huge store just a short hop from her home at Kensington Palace).
But surprisingly Reiss, the label Kate Middleton wore to meet US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle at Buckingham Palace, does not even register.
Vogue has even made it its business to scrutinize the length of the Duchess’s sleeves – finding that 6:1 being the most commonly seen arm-to-sleeve-length ratio.
“All the better to display the royal wrist-bling,” it says.
The magazine estimates that on her most recent tour of South East Asia and the Pacific, the Duchess took along 61 items of clothing, footwear and accessories worth around £1,427 per outfit (compared to the late Diana, Princess of Wales whose tour outfits costs the modern equivalent of £4,270 a pop).
Kate Middleton’s other most talked-about asset is her glorious tumbling tresses and the magazine has even, unbelievably, worked out the average diameter of her curls – 25 mm.
The Duchess goes for a glossy “Chelsea blow dry” 73.4 of the time – a perfectly achievable goal if one, like Kate Middleton, has a hairdresser on call 24 hours a day.
Just like on her wedding day, she favors a chic half-up half-down do 13.6% of the time, wearing it either naturally loose or curly or in a ponytail 6.5% of occasions.
Her accessories are equally closely monitored.
Apparently Kate Middleton has perfected the tilt of her hats and fascinators – always to the right at a stylish 50 degree angle – to show off her enviable cheekbones.
The average dimension of her favorite clutch bags is 194 mm by 132 mm and she carried them as thus: one handed 31%, left hand over right 15.5%, right hand over left 5.5%, hands together 48%.
Kate Middleton’s favored shoe designer is the upmarket Stuart Weitzman – sported on 13 public engagements out of the last 100 – closely followed by Jimmy Choo at nine official events.
Even her earrings do not escape scrutiny – the average drop measuring exactly 33 mm.
One of her favorite pairs is a glittering sapphire and diamond set once owned by William’s mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who sported them on the cover of Vogue in July 1994.
Seventeen years later, on her July 2011 official tour to Canada, Kate Middleton wore them in public again after having them slightly remodeled.
Even her teeth do not escape the eagle eye of the fashionistas.
Apparently Kate Middleton, who is believed to have had her teeth whitened and straightened by “micro-rotation” – using invisible braces attached to the back of each tooth – shows an average of 8.6 teeth when she smiles.
The February issue of Vogue is on sale from Thursday.
It appears the arrival of their first grandchild has been seen by Kate Middleton’s parents as a marvellous business opportunity.
They are promoting a range of baby goods on the Party Pieces website – with paper plates decorated with a blue or pink crown and the words “A New Little Prince” and “A New Little Princess”.
The Middletons are self-made New Money, and that is something to be admired. The skilful promotion of Party Pieces, which Carole Middleton founded 25 years ago, making up children’s party bags on her kitchen table, has catapulted them from humble beginnings in a modest semi-detached house, and from their meager salaried existence – she as a British Airways hostess, he as a BA dispatcher – to multi-millionaire dom.
When their eldest daughter began going out with Prince William, the Middletons had to brave social wisecracks about their former jobs. Yet they have nothing to be ashamed of: they represent the sort of aspirational and hard-working enterprise that Britain desperately needs more of.
But the marriage of their daughter into the Royal Family – and her future as the Queen consort of Britain, a delicately sensitive constitutional role – calls for discretion and careful judgment on their part.
Exploiting the impending birth of Kate Middleton’s baby, who will one day occupy the throne, in order to sell paper plates at £1.69 ($2.6) for a packet of eight, is not showing discretion or good judgment.
Miniature castles, “Prince” and “Princess” banners are among the other royal baby-themed products. A message on the firm’s website proclaims: “It’s a great occasion to celebrate before the new arrival, inviting family and friends along.” Such a celebration allows “other mothers to share their wisdom and own knowledge of becoming a mother”.
It’s hard to believe it did not occur to the Middletons that this would be seen as a cynical attempt to cash in on their daughter’s pregnancy.
It is not as if they need the money. Conservative estimates by City analysts put the value of Party Pieces at £40 million ($60 million). They own a £4.7 million ($7.2 million) seven-bedroom Georgian house in Berkshire, set in 18 acres of landscaped grounds, and a £1.6 million ($2.5 million) Chelsea flat.
The arrival of their first grandchild has been seen by Kate Middleton’s parents as a marvelous business opportunity as they are promoting a range of baby goods
Since Kate Middleton’s elevation to the ranks of royalty, the sales of products marketed by their company have escalated hugely. A lucrative licensing deal with the multi-millionaire teen idol Justin Bieber to sell a range of merchandise opened the door to vast worldwide income.
And the party plates are not the first instance of the Middletons facing accusations of cashing in on their royal connections.
Before the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, courtiers became uneasy when Party Pieces launched a “Britannia” range, including royal trivia scratch cards.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee offered further possibilities. The company marketed Jubilee plates, bunting and balloons.
One set of plates bore a silver unicorn, like that on the royal coat of arms, and the date, 1952, the year of the Queen’s accession.
Other plates featured a Queen-style figure wearing a crown and the words: “Hope and Glory Tea and Scones”. Among other items were state carriage-shaped cardboard teapot vases, cups with coats of arms and the words “Long Live G&T” and canapé flags featuring crown-wearing corgies.
Concern was also generated by the business activities of Kate Middleton’s 25-year-old brother, Edinburgh University drop-out James Middleton, whose company specializes in selling adult-themed cakes with personalized bawdy messages that are unlikely to find their way on to the tea table at Buckingham Palace.
These have included “Boob-licious jiggly jugs” and “A willy that wriggles and gives me the giggles”. A Sexy Hubby cake displays a cartoon man with an arrow pointing to his private parts and the caption: “Weapon of mass seduction.”
Eyebrows rose still further when James Middleton was photographed baring his buttocks, and cross-dressing in the outfit of a French maid, one of the tackier items on the Party Pieces website, available in their Adult Occasions section at £14.99 ($23).
The company is even marketing, at £27.99 ($43), an inflatable sumo outfit, the same one that Kate’s sister, Pippa Middleton, recently revealed their father Michael once wore to enliven the family’s Christmas festivities in Berkshire.
The thrusting business enterprise of the Middletons has several times landed them in trouble. Last year they were obliged to amend their website over Games-themed goods after falling foul of strict advertising laws covering the London Olympics.
They were also accused by Britain’s Got Talent of illegally using its logo, and two months ago were forced by the Broccoli family to remove from their website the James Bond Skyfall logo, which they were using without permission to advertise 007-themed goods under the heading “James Bond Secret Agent Party”.
But for many, it will be their apparent attempt to exploit their daughter’s pregnancy that will seem a step beyond the bounds of acceptable behavior. Turning the birth of their first royal grandchild into a part of their business empire is the sort of mercenary and undignified behavior they should have scrupulously avoided. It exposes them to criticism and, by extension, reflects badly on Kate Middleton.
Have they not learned from the spectacle of the Duchess of York trying to earn money in order to stay out of debt and involving herself in projects that were often tasteless?
The question is whether the Middletons, who have dined privately with the Queen at Windsor and accompanied her to Royal Ascot, can continue to walk the tightrope of combining a quasi-royal status with their booming empire or are destined to become a liability and embarrassment to their daughter and son-in-law.
Dismissing criticism of their activities in the past, Carole Middleton said: “At the end of the day we are running a business, not a charity. We don’t want to do anything that will embarrass Catherine but I feel as if we are caught between a rock and a hard place.”
Kate Middleton is facing the prospect of never becoming Prince William’s Queen.
MP John Hemming is attempting to ensure all spouses of reigning monarchs are officially known as Prince or Princess Consorts, with an amendment to the repeal of ancient royal primogeniture laws.
The wives of ruling Kings currently become Queen Consorts but the husbands of female monarchs have no right to any title – which is why the current Duke of Edinburgh is not known as King Philip.
The Liberal Democrat’s Early Day Motion says the Duchess of Cambridge would lose out on being called Queen Catherine when her husband William is crowned King, reported the Sunday Express.
“It’s not right that a Queen Regnant is treated as less important than a King Regnant,” he told the Sunday Express.
“It seems sensible we resolve this issue when dealing with the primogeniture issue.”
Kate Middleton is facing the prospect of never becoming Prince William’s Queen
The proposal also means Camilla would become Princess Consort when Prince Charles becomes King – which Clarence House has always insisted upon, following the couple’s previous divorces.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill was told by the Lord Chancellor in 1954 that Philip had no right to any title despite his wife Elizabeth II becoming Queen – but he was later given the title of Prince.
The current difference in title rights dates back to the custom of male primogeniture, which has meant that male heirs have traditionally leapfrogged their older sisters in the line of succession.
But a new law to ensure the first child of the Duke and pregnant Duchess of Cambridge will succeed to the throne regardless of gender is being fast-tracked through Parliament.
Ending gender discrimination in the line of succession will involve changing some of the oldest laws on the Statute Book, including the Treason Act 1351, which was originally written in Norman French.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who committed suicide after answering a hoax phone call about Kate Middleton, made two attempts to kill herself last winter and had been prescribed antidepressants.
Jacintha Saldanha, who took her own life days after the call from Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles, attempted to commit suicide last December with an overdose of pills during a family visit to India.
She survived after being rushed to hospital but tried to commit suicide again just nine days later by apparently jumping from a building.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, spent several days in intensive care before receiving psychiatric treatment and being prescribed a course of powerful antidepressants for nine months.
Along with the previous suicide attempts, reported in an Indian newspaper, members of Jacintha Saldanha’s family have revealed that the nurse was so ashamed after taking the hoax call earlier this month that she did not tell her husband or children about it before her death, despite speaking to them by phone several times.
Jacintha Saldanha was found hanged with a scarf at her living quarters at the King Edward VII’s Hospital in Central London on December 7.
Three days earlier, Jacintha Saldanha was the duty nurse who answered the prank call from Mel Greig and Michael Christian, and transferred it to a colleague.
That nurse revealed confidential medical information about pregnant Kate Middleton, who was being treated at the hospital for acute morning sickness. The call was broadcast in Australia and made headlines around the world.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who committed suicide after answering a hoax phone call about Kate Middleton, made two attempts to kill herself last winter and had been prescribed antidepressants
Yet the closest Jacintha Saldanha came to telling her husband she was at the centre of the story was when she told him to watch the news, claimed family members in her home town of Mangalore, southern India.
“The first her husband knew that she was the victim of the hoax call was when police told him she was dead. Nobody in the family knew,” said her younger brother Naveen Saldanha, 42.
“They spoke several times that week but she did not tell him or the kids anything about it.”
The latest insight into the nurse’s state of mind came as British police confirmed yesterday they had passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether any offences had been committed.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian could be charged with attempting to obtain medical details by deception. Further charges could be brought against Australian radio station 2Day FM if it is found to have broadcast the prank without the permission of the participants.
Although Jacintha Saldanha’s family have previously said she did not have a history of depression, new reports suggest she has been battling the condition since at least December last year.
That month, Jacintha Saldanha, her accountant husband Benedict Barboza, 49, their son Junal, 17, and adopted daughter Lisha, 14, attended a family wedding in Shirva, 30 miles north of Mangalore. But on December 30, just days after the devout Catholic family celebrated Christmas, Jacintha Saldanha is believed to have taken an overdose of pills. She was rushed to a private hospital in Mangalore, where she was treated for “self-harm”.
On January 8 this year, she is believed to have attempted suicide again and was treated at Father Muller Medical College Hospital for head injuries suffered in a “fall”.
She was kept in intensive care for several days and then admitted to the psychiatric ward of the hospital, where she was treated for depression.
Jacintha Saldanha was discharged three days later and given a nine-month course of anti-depressants. Her family was warned there was a risk that she may attempt suicide again.
Her medication would have finished in September. It is not known if she was prescribed any more or if staff at King Edward VII’s knew of her fragile condition.
Last night, her brother, an engineer in Mangalore, said: “We didn’t know about the first incident, but we knew about the second incident at Father Muller.”
He refused to give further details.
Mr. Saldanha said Jacintha spoke to her husband by telephone on the evening of the prank call, which was made at 5.30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 4, but did not tell him about her involvement. He added that she spoke to her husband and children twice the following day, but still did not reveal anything, though she told Benedict Barboza to watch the news.
Mr. Saldanha said he believes his sister did not tell her family in the UK or India about the hoax as she felt ashamed.
Benedict Barboza became slightly concerned when his wife did not call on Thursday, December 6, but believed she was busy with nursing classes.
On Friday morning, he called a colleague of Jacintha Saldanha to check on his wife. Hours later, he was told of her death by officers from Avon and Somerset Police.
Last week, the body of Jacintha Saldanha was flown back to India and buried according to her wishes in the village of Shirva.
Kate Middleton was said to have cancelled all engagements this month so she could rest and recover from the bout of severe morning sickness that left her hospitalized.
But there are some events that not even a convalescing Duchess of Cambridge can get out of – Firm (a nickname for the British Royal Family) commitments.
Kate Middleton, who is less than 12 weeks pregnant, was seen today arriving at Buckingham Palace today to enjoy a pre-Christmas lunch with other members of the Royal family.
Fortunately Kate Middleton seems to have put the worst of her illness behind her and looked in good health for the annual event hosted by the Queen to ensure those family members she doesn’t have enough room for at Sandringham still get a chance to celebrate in style.
Christmas itself is spent at the private Norfolk estate where her immediate family celebrates the festive season each year.
Unusually, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived for today’s gathering separately, Prince William hitching a ride with his cousin Lord Linley.
Sources said it was more than likely because they had come from different venues that morning – perhaps Prince William was picking up some last minute Christmas presents at Linley’s eponymous Pimlico shop.
The couple were later seen being driven away together.
Kate Middleton, who is less than 12 weeks pregnant, was seen today arriving at Buckingham Palace today to enjoy a pre-Christmas lunch with other members of the Royal family
Yesterday the couple made a surprise appearance at their office Christmas party at a restaurant in London’s Notting Hill, showing that the pregnant Kate Middleton is clearly on the mend after being hospitalized for three days with hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition which causes severe sickness in pregnant women, earlier this month.
Prince William, like the other male members of the Royal Family, was suited and booted to within an inch of his life.
Prince Charles arrived with his beaming wife, the Duchess of Cornwall. Only his younger son, Prince Harry, was absent as he will spend Christmas fighting on the frontline in Afghanistan as an Apache attack helicopter pilot.
Princess Beatrice, wearing a floral dress, drove herself in without fanfare – although she still, contrary to reports, had a police protection officer in tow – as did her sister, Princess Eugenie.
Their father the Duke of York was also present but not, unsurprisingly, their mother Sarah, Duchess of York, who has been barred from family events for several years following a series of scandals.
Princess Michael of Kent, who celebrates her 68th birthday in January, looked astonishingly youthful as she smiled for the camera.
The royal, who is married to the Queen’s cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, has admitted using botox in the past and once joked that “toyboys keep me young”.
Also present were the Earl and Countess and Wessex and their elder daughter, Lady Louise, a particular favorite of the Queen who even watches the children’s television channel CBeebies with her.
Princess Margaret’s daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto was there with her brood, as was the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.
The reclusive Duchess of Kent did not appear to have accepted an invitation but her glamorous daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, was there with her art dealer husband Timothy.
The lunch lasted two hours with Prince William and Kate Middleton leaving together this time. Eugenie was the first to head off with Charles and Camilla following shortly afterwards.
The Queen is expected to leave for Sandringham, one of her favorite residences, after the lunch for an extended Christmas break with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Hopefully this year will be happier than the last, when elderly Philip was rushed to hospital for heart surgery shortly before his family was due to arrive.
In line with their German roots – and the fact that the Queen regards Christmas Day as a religious festival – the royals swap presents on Christmas Eve.
Everyone gathers in the White Drawing room at around 4pm where the Queen and the younger members of the family put the finishing touches to a Norfolk spruce cut from the 1,000-acre estate before exchanging gifts.
When Kate Middleton wore a delicate pair of imitation diamond-and-pearl earrings to the Diamond Jubilee service at St Paul’s Cathedral earlier this year, she could not have anticipated the chain of events she would set in motion.
The £48 fake pearl and cubic zirconia earrings were instantly familiar to Belinda Hadden who was at home watching the TV coverage.
They were part of a range of jewellery sold on her website Heavenly Necklaces – an online business selling convincing, understated fake jewels which Belinda Hadden used to describe as a “well-kept secret”.
But shortly after those earrings were worn by Kate Middleton, her secret was out – and life hasn’t been quite the same since. Belinda Hadden, 55, is no stranger to celebrity clients and the essence of her cottage industry has been its polite, discreet service.
Belinda Hadden has smiled at photographs of Hollywood stars wearing her fake gems on the red carpet – keen to look a million dollars, but not prepared to insure against the loss or theft of real jewels worth a million dollars.
One client came to her after losing a real diamond earring on a beach in Kenya. Not daring to tell her husband, she contacted Belinda Hadden, asking if she had something similar. To this day, the woman’s husband remains blissfully unaware that she is sporting fakes.
Having kept her client list secret, Belinda Hadden was disconcerted when she received an email from one customer, with a photograph attached to it of the Duchess of Cambridge at the Jubilee, asking: “Could these by any chance be the same earrings that I have?”
“There was a problem with client confidentiality,” says Belinda Hadden now.
“So I emailed back saying <<it’s possible>>, because <<no>> would have been a lie, but <<yes>> a betrayal.”
She thought that would be the end of it, but soon internet chatrooms and websites such as www.whatkate wore.com, which catalogues everything that the Duchess wears, were abuzz with news about where the Duchess had bought her earrings.
Kate Middleton wore a delicate pair of imitation diamond-and-pearl earrings to the Diamond Jubilee service at St Paul’s Cathedral earlier this year
Orders started rolling in – from all over the world.
Heavenly Necklaces was swamped, selling out of the earrings almost instantly. More than 400 orders were placed within 48 hours – as many as the company might normally expect in a year. Belinda Hadden hurriedly set up a waiting list to cope with demand.
The company generated a year’s worth of business in a matter of days, as customers from the U.S. to Japan, disappointed at having to wait for up to two months for “Kate’s earrings”, consoled themselves with shopping from the rest of the catalogue. They bought everything from the cheapest £16 stud earrings to a fake diamond necklace costing just over £2,000.
But this extraordinary surge in orders threatened to overwhelm the small company. Belinda Hadden’s bank, viewing her sudden jump in income as “unusual activity”, froze her account.
“That was not helpful,” she says, with measured understatement.
Eventually, the problem was sorted out but Kate Middleton’s decision to wear the firm’s earrings has utterly transformed the business. Belinda Hadden had to register for VAT, to take on new staff to cope with the backlog of orders and the website had to be redesigned to handle large amounts of internet traffic and a vastly greater volume of orders than before.
Belinda Hadden is a grateful beneficiary of what has been dubbed “The Kate Effect” which describes the phenomenon whereby when Kate Middleton wears a pair of shoes, a high-street dress or a fascinator hat, sales sky-rocket.
She says: “Here was the future Queen of England wearing fake diamond jewellery and everybody celebrated it. I think there’s a feeling that anyone can look great on an unlimited budget but the people with real style are those who can look good on a limited budget, particularly if they do that combination, Topshop-Prada thing.
“Those are certainly the people I admire . . . and the Duchess of Cambridge is the patron saint of that message.”
Anyone searching for proof of the Duchess’s ability to mix high and low need look no further than the £2,900 Kiki McDonough earrings she wore at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards last Sunday night – a sharp contrast to Belinda’s £48 pair.
Six months on, orders continue to flood in, and so do notes from other retailers, congratulating Belinda and hoping that Kate Middleton’s magic dust will fall on their own businesses.
“I had a message from someone who makes funky crutches – fabulously colorful, floral things – joking <<Congratulations on your success. If you could now just persuade the Duchess to break a leg. . .>>.”
Belinda Hadden’s own lucky break came after nearly 20 years of hard work building Heavenly Necklaces from a kitchen-table start-up to a business with a global client base.
The concept of fake jewellery became big in the Thirties when people went on cruises, left their jewels in the bank and wore replicas onboard.
When Belinda Hadden started her business in the early Nineties, after quitting a job in PR to spend more time with her three young daughters, her aim was to do fakes with a modern twist.
“At first it was semi-precious stones on invisible thread, but it morphed into the whole fake thing. Then I found a supplier in Hatton Garden [London’s jewellery quarter] who made very clever pieces that looked like the real thing, then I started designing and commissioning my own pieces.
“You don’t have to insure them or worry if they get lost, and everyone thought, <<How clever to sparkle without the risk>>.”
Even the wife of one of Bond Street’s top jewellers is a customer.
“If she borrows from their shop, it has to be delivered under armed guard.
“But when she wears one of my pieces she says everyone assumes it’s real and that if she loses the item, <<it’s 40 quid instead of 40,000>>.”
Another customer told Belinda that when she was burgled recently, the thieves ignored laptops, TVs and other luxury items – and took two of her rings, worth just £76.
Many stars now see the benefits of luxury fakes. Although rapper Jay-Z proposed to his pop star wife Beyonce with an 18-carat diamond ring worth $5 million, he also gave her an imitation to wear on stage.
Belinda Hadden says: “What has changed is that people now see it as an intelligent rather than a cheapskate thing to do.”
That means her “superb client list” continues to grow. This list – Hollywood stars, wives of millionaires, and now, thanks to Kate Middleton, royalty – is anything but fake.
Kate Middleton made her first formal public appearance since her pregnancy was announced at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony in London, where she presented two awards.
The Duchess of Cambridge walked out in an Alexander McQueen green dress matched with a striking smile as she presented chairman of the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games Sebastian Coe with the Lifetime Achievement award.
She stayed on the stage throughout Sebastian Coe’s speech and was then on hand to present the Sports Personality of the Year award on to Bradley Wiggins.
Runner-up was Team GB heptathlete Jessica Ennis, who won gold in the 2012 Games, and in third place was tennis star Andy Murray, who also won gold at the London Olympics.
Kate Middleton’s decision to honor the engagement after being forced to cancel her last four public appearances is a sign that the 30-year-old is slowly recovering after spending several days in hospital with hyperemesis gravidarum earlier this month.
Aides said the duchess, a Team GB Ambassador, was keen to attend to pay tribute to the achievements of British sportsmen and women in a remarkable year for British sport.
Kate Middleton made her first formal public appearance since her pregnancy was announced at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony in London, where she presented two awards
A fortnight after she fell ill with a crippling form of morning sickness, the Duchess finally made her first formal public appearance.
But sources close to Kate Middleton, less than 12 weeks pregnant, stressed that she would only attend the evening-long event at London’s ExCel for around 45 minutes before returning home to Kensington Palace, where she continues to recuperate.
Doctors have warned her that the condition can recur at any time in the first few months of pregnancy – and sometimes even beyond.
“While the Duchess does not feel ready to attend a four-hour engagement, she is keen to show her support to the UK’s sportsmen and women at this prestigious event which caps a momentous year for British sport,” said a senior royal source.
Kate Middleton attended the event alone as her husband, Prince William, has been forced to return to their rented farmhouse in Anglesey, North Wales, as he is due on duty as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot.
But the fact that the prince felt confident enough to leave her suggests that he, too, is encouraged by her recovery.
Prince William will return to London in time for Christmas but aides have yet to announce whether they plan to join the Royal Family at Sandringham, in line with tradition.
While it would be extremely unusual for the future king and his wife to miss the annual celebrations on the Queen’s Norfolk estate – including the traditional visit to church on Christmas morning – sources have indicated that Kate Middleton is “seriously” considering remaining in Berkshire with her family so she can recover in peace and be closer to hospital if she takes a turn for the worse.
Her decision will be announced in the next day or so.
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The funeral of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently killed herself following a royal hoax call in London, is taking place in her Indian hometown, Shirva.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, will be buried after the service at a church in Shirva, just outside Mangalore on the south-west Indian coast.
Her family arrived at the church earlier with her coffin.
Jacintha Saldanha had taken a prank call about Kate Middleton who was being treated for acute morning sickness.
Two presenters on a Sydney-based radio station convinced staff they were the Queen and Prince Charles, and were connected to the duchess’s private nurse and given an update on her condition.
Jacintha Saldanha, who transferred the call, was found dead days later, in nursing accommodation attached to the King Edward VII hospital.
Her funeral was preceded by a memorial service and she is to be buried at a cemetery on the church grounds in Shirva.
The funeral of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently killed herself following a royal hoax call in London, is taking place in her Indian hometown, Shirva
Jacintha Saldanha’s husband, Benedict Barboza, visited the cemetery on Monday morning to look at the grave where she will be laid to rest.
Thousands of people were expected to attend the service, and the authorities had made extensive arrangements, including deploying additional security.
Earlier, local police set up barricades because large numbers were expected at the funeral.
There had been “massive media coverage” in India following Jacintha Saldanha’s death.
The death had saddened many in the country, especially in her hometown, with some people saying it was a tragedy that simply should not have happened.
Others have called for a fresh investigation to determine what led to her death.
Jacintha Saldanha left three suicide notes, her inquest last week revealed.
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Kate Middleton will tonight attend the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards – the first sign that she is slowly recovering from the severe morning sickness that has plagued her first few weeks of pregnancy.
The Duchess of Cambridge is only likely to be at the event in London for around 45 minutes and she is keen to pay tribute to the nation’s sportsmen and women in what has been an incredible year.
Sources say Kate Middleton will be going on her own as husband Prince William is back at work as an RAF search and rescue pilot on Anglesey.
A St James’s Palace spokesman said: “The Duchess of Cambridge will tonight attend the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Awards at the ExCeL London, where Her Royal Highness will present the Lifetime Achievement and the main Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
“The Duchess will attend the event in response to a longstanding invitation from the BBC.”
Along with her husband and brother in law Prince Harry, Kate Middleton was a Team GB Ambassador at the Olympics this summer.
The hockey player is known to love sport and was pictured at London 2012, hugging Prince William at the Velodrome in August as Sir Chris Hoy, Philip Hindes and Jason Kenny stormed to success.
Tonight will be the first time Kate Middleton has been seen in public since she left hospital.
Kate Middleton will tonight attend the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards
Reports had suggested she could miss Christmas at Sandringham and instead choose to spend the festive period with her own family in a bid to recover.
Kate Middleton’s prolonged vomiting could continue for much of her pregnancy and she may need to take anti-sickness medication for months to come.
She was regularly visited by Prince William and younger siblings Pippa and James Middleton during her stay in hospital.
A royal source said: “While the Duchess does not feel ready to attend a four hour engagement, she is keen to show her support to the UK’s sportsmen and women at this prestigious event which caps a momentous year for British sport.”
The Duchess has been resting at Nottingham Cottage, the London home she shares with Prince William in the grounds of Kensington Palace.
Kate Middleton, 30, who is around nine weeks pregnant, has been told by doctors to rest and, as a result, had cancelled all her upcoming engagements.
She was taken to hospital earlier this month by her concerned husband after falling ill at her parents’ house in Bucklebury, Berkshire.
Doctors at King Edward VII Hospital in London diagnosed her with hyperemesis gravidarum, an acute form of morning sickness that causes the patient to vomit uncontrollably and become dehydrated.
She was immediately put on a drip to introduce fluids and nutrients into her body and spent three nights in hospital.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who committed suicide after the royal hoax phone call, left a note telling the two Australian DJs behind the prank they were responsible for her death, according to sources close to the family.
In one of three apparent suicide notes, Jacintha Saldanha wrote a short letter in which she expressed her deep anger at radio presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian and blamed them for her tragic death.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found hanged with a scarf at her accommodation at the King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, where Kate Middleton was being treated for severe morning sickness.
It was revealed that one of the DJs telephoned the hospital back within an hour of the call and spoke to Jacintha Saldanha again, telling her they had played a prank which they were about to broadcast.
The revelation is believed to have left Jacintha Saldanha, who had no experience of dealing with the media, feeling confused and agitated.
DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian – who are believed to be at safe addresses following death threats – have apologized for the tragic repercussions of their prank. They pretended to be the Queen and Prince Charles seeking information about Kate Middleton’s condition.
In another, one-page letter, Jacintha Saldanha criticized “aspects of the hospital staff”, and singled out two individuals for blame.
Although the hospital has repeatedly said no senior member of staff blamed Jacintha Saldanha for falling victim to the prank and provided her with support, it is understood she may have been reprimanded by colleagues by email.
Asked if Jacintha Saldanha received a “ticking-off” by senior colleagues, a family friend yesterday replied: “What do you think?”
The hospital has declined to comment on the notes, saying senior staff have not seen copies. It is believed the original notes are now in the possession of Scotland Yard, which has produced transcripts for the family.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who committed suicide after the royal hoax phone call, left a note telling the two Australian DJs behind the prank they were responsible for her death
Sources close to the family said their relationship with the hospital was strained as senior managers had not provided “facts” they have requested.
The hospital has so far not replied to several written questions the family handed to chief executive John Lofthouse at a meeting last Tuesday organized by senior Labour MP Keith Vaz. As a prominent Asian parliamentarian, Keith Vaz was approached by the family for help.
John Lofthouse was given the questions by Jacintha Saldanha’s husband Benedict Barboza, 49, an NHS accountant, their son Junal, 17, and daughter Lisha, 14. Yesterday, John Lofthouse attended a mass at Westminster Cathedral where prayers were said for Jacintha Saldanha. He was accompanied by other members of the hospital’s staff, many of whom were in tears.
One attendee said he overheard a hospital staff member tell the family: “I hope you get to the truth.”
Meanwhile, another friend of the family has revealed that Jacintha Saldanha may have tried to commit suicide more than once in the 72 hours between the prank and the moment her body was discovered by a colleague.
She may have attempted to slash her wrists before she died as a result of hanging herself with a scarf. The friend said: “She may have tried to kill herself more than once – that’s why there are three notes.”
An inquest on Friday was told police found marks on Jacintha Saldanha’s wrists.
Jacintha Saldanha usually called her family in Bristol every evening. But on the Thursday night following the hoax call in the early hours of Tuesday morning, she did not call or text her husband, leaving him concerned.
Benedict Barboza called the hospital early on Friday morning and asked a colleague to check on her. But apparently, the nurse failed to do that. Another colleague went to her room at 9:30 a.m. and found her body.
The news was broken to Benedict Barboza by police. At no point that day or subsequently did any member of the hospital staff visit the family to express their condolences, according to a family friend.
“They could have gone to break the news to the family but they didn’t do it,” the source added.
In her final letter, Jacintha Saldanha is believed to have asked to be buried in her home village of Shirwa, near Mangalore, in southern India.
The funeral will be held there on Monday. In a statement, the hospital said: “No one at the hospital has seen these notes so we cannot comment. However, we reiterate that Jacintha was an outstanding nurse… Hospital management offered her their support and told her they considered her the victim of a cruel hoax.
“They stood by her actions and made it clear there was no criticism of her and that there would be no disciplinary action of any kind.”
The body of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently killed herself after a hoax phone call about Kate Middleton, is due to arrive in India for burial.
Jacintha Saldanha’s remains are being escorted by her husband and two children from the UK to Mangalore on Sunday.
The nurse was found dead on 7 December near the London hospital where the duchess had been treated for morning sickness.
Days earlier Jacintha Saldanha had answered a hoax call from Australia about Kate Middleton.
Her husband, Benedict Barboza, and their daughter Lisha, 14, and son Junal, 16, are flying to southern India to attend the funeral on Monday.
Jacintha Saldanha’s funeral will take place at Our Lady of Health Church in the town of Shirva, Karnataka.
Rev. William Menezes, spokesman for the Diocese of Mangalore, told AFP news agency that the funeral would take place at 16:00 local time (10:30 GMT).
Police said as many as 5,000 people were expected to attend, according to AFP, and security around the village has been tightened.
Jacintha Saldanha’s death has been closely followed in India, especially where she grew up.
The body of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently killed herself after a hoax phone call about Kate Middleton, is due to arrive in India for burial
A candlelight vigil was held last week and her friends and family have been outspoken in their grief, some even demanding that a separate investigation be held to determine the cause of her death.
The hospital in Mangalore where she studied nursing has said it will create an award in her memory.
Her husband and children attended Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Sunday, where they paid tribute to Jacintha Saldahna.
In a joint tribute the children said: “We are shattered and there’s an unfillable void in our lives.”
“The house is an empty dwelling without your presence,” they added.
Benedict Barboza said: “Nineteen years of togetherness with a strong bond of affection and understanding will be cherished forever in my life. Your loss is a very painful one and nobody can take that place in my life ever again. I love you and miss you forever.”
On Thursday an inquest at Westminster’s Coroner Court heard that Jacintha Saldanha was found hanged. She left three suicide notes.
The hospital has said that senior managers tried to reassure Jacintha Saldanha “on a number of occasions” that no blame was attached to her for putting the hoax call from two Australian DJs through to the duchess’ ward.
Jacintha Saldanha’s children have described at a Mass at Westminster Cathedral the “unfillable void” she has left.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found hanged days after answering a hoax call about Kate Middleton in accommodation attached to King Edward VII hospital last week.
Her husband, Benedict, daughter Lisha, 14, and son Junal, 16, attended a Mass at Westminster Cathedral.
In a joint tribute the children said: “We are shattered and there’s an unfillable void in our lives.”
“The house is an empty dwelling without your presence,” they added.
Catholics can request that a Mass be offered in the name of a dead person.
Memorial services have already been held at the hospital and in Bristol where her husband and children live.
Jacintha Saldanha’s funeral will take place at Our Lady of Health Church in the town of Shirva in Karnataka, India, on Monday.
In a tribute read out at the service, the children described their mother as “kind-hearted, generous and well-respected”.
They said: “You were the core of the family that kept us together. In times of difficulty, you showed us the way forward to happiness and success.
“Your priority for us was a good education and a bright future. You taught us right from wrong which we appreciate. You worked tirelessly to give us everything that we have today.”
Lisha Saldanha read out the following tribute after the service: “We love you Mum, sleep in peace and please watch over us until we meet again in Heaven. We will always love you and keep you close to our hearts.”
Jacintha Saldanha’s funeral will take place at Our Lady of Health Church in the town of Shirva in Karnataka, India, on Monday
Jacintha Saldanha was found dead eight days ago in London.
She had answered a call on 4 December from two Australian DJs pretending to be the Queen and the Prince of Wales wanting to speak to the pregnant duchess who was being treated for acute morning sickness.
Her husband, Benedict Barboza, said in his tribute: “My wife, you were the light in my darkness, who always showed me the way forward. From the day we met, you always stood by me in times of hardship and happiness. I feel a part of me has been ripped out.
“Without your beautiful smile and sparkling personality, the house is an empty place to live. Nineteen years of togetherness with a strong bond of affection and understanding will be cherished forever in my life. Your loss is a very painful one and nobody can take that place in my life ever again. I love you and miss you forever.”
Benedict Barboza thanked everybody who had offered support and comfort, including Prime Minister David Cameron, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and MPs Keith Vaz and Charlotte Leslie.
On Thursday an inquest at Westminster’s Coroner Court heard that Jacintha Saldanha was found hanged. She left three suicide notes.
The hospital has said that senior managers tried to reassure Jacintha Saldanha “on a number of occasions” that no blame was attached to her for putting the hoax call through to the duchess’ ward.
In a letter to MP Keith Vaz, which was released by the hospital on Friday evening, chief executive John Lofthouse explained the protocol in place for dealing with calls to “high-profile” patients.
“Part of our procedure is to take the name and number of the individual and call them back. This is in order to verify that the call is genuine. We also empower our staff to use their judgement.
“On this particular occasion, Jacintha believed that the call was genuine, and she felt it appropriate to put the call through. We stand by her judgement.”
The hospital has insisted that Jacintha Saldanha was not facing disciplinary proceedings – “because she had been the victim of a cruel trick.”
The letter also said she had been offered time off but she said she would prefer to continue working.
“Neither ourselves, her friends or family noticed anything to give cause for concern,” John Lofthouse said.
A memorial service has been held at the King Edward VII hospital for Jacintha Saldanha, who took a hoax call about Kate Middleton’s treatment.
Jacintha Saldanha was found dead last Friday, three days after taking the call from two Australian radio DJs.
A memorial mass also took place in Jacintha Saldanha’s adopted hometown of Bristol.
The hospital has defended its actions after the Guardian reported Jacintha Saldanha had criticized staff in one of her three suicide notes.
A spokeswoman said she had been given support by management.
Chief executive of the hospital, John Lofthouse, said: “King Edward VII’s is a small hospital, with a tight-knit team. Everybody knew Jacintha, and we were all left deeply shocked by her tragic death following the hoax telephone call.
“This service was a chance for everyone here to pay their respects and remember a dear colleague.”
A memorial service has been held at the King Edward VII hospital for Jacintha Saldanha, who took a hoax call about Kate Middleton’s treatment
Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old wife and mother of two, transferred the telephone call on 4 December to a colleague who then gave a detailed update on Kate Middleton’s condition to the hoaxers.
Kate Middleton, who is in the early stages of pregnancy, was receiving treatment at the hospital for hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness.
On Thursday, an inquest at Westminster’s Coroner Court heard that Jacintha Saldanha was found hanged in her nurse’s quarters in central London.
A hospital spokeswoman said she could not comment on the Guardian‘s report on the content of Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide notes as no-one had seen them.
She said: “Following the hoax call, hospital management offered her their support and told her that they considered her to be the victim of a cruel hoax, and that they stood by her actions.”
Labour MP Keith Vaz, who is representing Jacintha Saldanha’s family, has written to the hospital’s chief executive calling for him to release the “full facts” of what happened.
Writing in reply to Keith Vaz, John Lofthouse said: “Jacintha believed that the call was genuine, and she felt it appropriate to put the call through. We stand by her judgment.
“Following the hoax call, Jacintha was reassured on a number of occasions by senior management that no blame was attached to her actions and that there were no disciplinary issues involved, because she had been the victim of a cruel trick.”
In an earlier statement, the hospital said it had met her family earlier in the week and answered all of their questions in full.
“We are continuing to support the family in a number of ways,” it said.
On Saturday, a mass is also due to be held for Jacintha Saldanha at London’s Westminster Cathedral.
The mass will be offered “for the repose of the soul of Jacintha and her grieving family,” a spokesman said.
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Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse found dead following a hoax call to the hospital treating Kate Middleton, criticized senior colleagues over her treatment in one of three suicide notes, it has emerged.
An inquest heard that Jacintha Saldanha, 46, left three emotional suicide notes following the prank call by Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian.
But it has emerged today that in one of the notes she has criticized colleagues at the King Edward VII hospital over her treatment following the controversial call.
It is believed Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide note has left her grieving family furious, with husband Ben Barboza understood to want an inquiry into the hospital.
He is also believed to want an independent investigation into what happened in the days leading up to the death of his wife, for whom student nurses in Bangalore, India, held a candlelit vigil overnight.
The nurses, who were seen walking the streets holding candles and reciting prayers in tribute to the mother of two, demanded an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her death.
“It is very unfortunate for a nurse, who was in a peak of her career had to die in a very bad way from the royal prank played by some foolish people,” said one attendee named as Ravi.
“This nurse was traumatized so much that she could not face anybody and committed a suicide. We pray for her soul to rest in peace and her family to come out of the incident.”
A nurse named as Vijaylaxmi said at the march organized by a local politician: “We are here to pray for nurse Jacintha’s family, so my kind request is that proper investigation has to be done and it is a major issue, we cannot leave this issue.”
A vigil in memory of Jacintha Saldanha was organized by a local politician in Bangalore
Speaking to the Daily Mirror about Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide notes, a source close to the family said: “One of the letters, which is the longest, deals with the hospital and is critical in its tone.
“Needless to say, Ben wants a full inquiry into what happened and he wants to make sure the truth comes out. Within the letter, Jacintha calls into question some of the treatment she received at the hospital.”
In another note, Jacintha Saldanha describes how she struggled to come to terms with the prank call by the two Australian DJs. The third and final letter is practical and deals with her funeral plans.
The body of the mother-of-two was discovered in her room in staff quarters last Friday. Two of the notes were found nearby and a third was among her possessions.
Jacintha Saldanha had also sent a number of emails and made telephone calls that police believe might help explain what happened.
During a five-minute hearing at Westminster Coroner’s Court yesterday it was revealed that attempts were made to revive the nurse but they were “to no avail”.
Detective Chief Inspector James Harman said: “Jacintha Saldanha was found by a colleague and a member of security staff. Sadly she was found hanging.
“There were also injuries to her wrist. The London Ambulance Service was called to the scene. At this time there are no suspicious circumstances.”
Scotland Yard detectives are examining the notes, as well as interviewing Jacintha Saldanha’s friends, family and colleagues at London’s King Edward VII hospital.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse fooled by a hoax call to the London hospital treating Kate Middleton, was later found hanged, an inquest has heard.
Jacintha Saldanha was found dead in her nurses’ quarters on Friday, three days after the call from Australian radio presenters pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.
There were also injuries to her wrist, Westminster Coroner’s Court heard.
The inquest was opened and adjourned until March 26th.
Detective Chief Inspector James Harman told the court: “On Friday 7 December Jacintha Saldanha was found by a colleague and a member of security staff. Sadly she was found hanging.
“There was also injuries to her wrist. The London Ambulance Service was called to the scene. At this time there are no suspicious circumstances.”
Two notes were found in Jacintha Saldanha’s room and another among her possessions, the court was also told.
Jacintha Saldanha was found dead in her nurses’ quarters on Friday, three days after the call from Australian radio presenters pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, transferred the telephone call, made to the King Edward VII’s Hospital on 4 December, to a colleague who then gave a detailed update on the duchess’s condition to the hoaxers.
Kate Middleton, who is in the early stages of pregnancy, was receiving treatment for hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to Jacintha Saldanha – a wife and mother-of-two – and offered condolences to her family.
“She clearly loved her job, loved her work and cared deeply about the health of her patients and what has happened is a complete tragedy,” David Cameron said.
“There will be many lessons that need to be learnt.”
Australia’s media watchdog has launched a formal inquiry into the hoax call, focusing on the licence-holder for 2Day FM radio station, Today FM Sydney Pty Ltd.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will consider whether the licensee complied with its license conditions and the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice.
Station owner Southern Cross Austereo has said all profits from advertising for the rest of the year will go into a fund for Jacintha Saldanha’s family.
The two presenters, Michael Christian and Mel Greig, have said they are “gutted and heartbroken” over the death.
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The Australian media watchdog has launched a formal inquiry into the hoax call to the London hospital, where Kate Middleton was being treated, after nurse Jacintha Saldanha’s death.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead on Friday, three days after taking the call from Australian radio station 2Day FM.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will focus on the 2Day FM license holder and not directly on the presenters who made the prank call.
It will be examining if “broadcasting obligations” were breached.
On Wednesday, speaking in the Commons, UK Prime Minister David Cameron called Jacintha Saldanha’s death a “complete tragedy” and said lessons needed to be learnt.
Jacintha Saldanha had taken a call from presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles, at the King Edward VII’s Hospital, where the duchess was being treated for severe morning sickness.
ACMA said its investigation would look at the compliance of 2Day FM’s licensee, Today FM Sydney Pty Ltd, with its license conditions and the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice.
ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said: “The ACMA’s formal regulatory relationship is always with the relevant licensee, and not the presenters of any broadcast in question. The ACMA will be examining whether the licensee has complied with its broadcasting obligations.”
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will focus on the 2Day FM license holder and not directly on the presenters who made the prank call
Under Australia’s Broadcasting Services Act, radio and television licensees have primary responsibility for ensuring that the material they broadcast reflects “community standards”.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, answered the call from the 2Day FM presenters in the early hours of the morning on 4 December and, believing them to be members of the Royal Family, put them through to another nurse who gave a detailed update on the duchess’s condition.
She was found dead three days later at staff accommodation close to the hospital.
Southern Cross Austereo, which owns 2Day FM, said all profits from advertising on the station for the rest of the year would go into a fund for Jacintha Saldanha’s family.
MP Keith Vaz, who met Jacintha Saldanha’s family in Parliament on Monday night, has called on the hospital where she worked to hold a full inquiry.
He has also written to Southern Cross Austereo’s chief executive Rhys Holleran, expressing concern that the company had “not taken any steps to assist the family”.
“There has been no written apology, no request for a meeting with the family and no attempt to travel to the United Kingdom to express contrition,” he wrote.
Scotland Yard said the results of a post-mortem examination on Jacintha Saldanha would be released on Thursday morning at an inquest into her death.
The death is not being treated as suspicious and the inquest hearing in London is expected to be opened and adjourned as inquiries are continuing.
The two presenters involved in the hoax call, Michael Christian and Mel Greig, have said they are “gutted and heartbroken” over the death of Jacintha Saldanha.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently took her own life following the royal hoax call scandal, was found hanged in her staff housing, it has been claimed.
Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha, 46, left a note for her family, it was revealed yesterday.
Jacintha Saldanha had not told her husband or children that she was involved in the incident, meaning the letter may provide their only clue to what prompted the respected nurse to take such a drastic and tragic step.
A post-mortem examination was held yesterday on the body of Jacintha Saldanha, who was the first unwitting member of staff at the King Edward VII Hospital in London, where Kate Middleton was being treated for acute morning sickness, to take the call made by two Australian DJs pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently took her own life following the royal hoax call scandal, was found hanged in her staff housing
She passed them on to a second nurse on Kate Middleton’s ward, who was then duped into giving out details of her medical condition
The results of the post-mortem examination are not yet known, and an inquest is due to be opened and adjourned tomorrow.
Family spokesman, Labour MP Keith Vaz, said yesterday Jacintha Saldanha’s family were demanding answers from the hospital about the circumstances that led to her death.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently took her own life following the royal hoax call scandal, left a note for her family, it emerged yesterday.
Jacintha Saldanha had not told her husband or children that she was involved in the incident, meaning the letter may provide their only clue to what prompted the respected nurse to take such a drastic and tragic step.
A post-mortem examination was held yesterday on the body of Jacintha Saldanha, who was the first unwitting member of staff at the King Edward VII Hospital in London, where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for acute morning sickness, to take the call made by two Australian DJs pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.
Jacintha Saldanha passed them on to a second nurse on Kate Middleton’s ward, who was then duped into giving out details of her medical condition
The results of the post-mortem examination are not yet known, and an inquest is due to be opened this week.
Family spokesman, Labour MP Keith Vaz, said yesterday Jacintha Saldanha’s family were demanding answers from the hospital about the circumstances that led to her death.
Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who apparently took her own life following the royal hoax call scandal, left a note for her family
Although bosses at the hospital in Marylebone have said they will conduct internal inquiries, the nurse’s family – husband Ben Barboza, 49, and children Junal, 17, and Lisha, 14 – “want to know everything”.
Keith Vaz, who has met hospital chairman Lord Glenarthur to demand a full inquiry, said: “What the chairman of the hospital said to me was that there are inquiries going on in the hospital.
“That is not sufficient for the family. There are unexplained circumstances. The family want to know everything. All the facts, fully and clearly.”
Keith Vaz added: “The hospital needs to be more pro-active, a full inquiry is needed and the family need to be included in that.
“They are a lovely close-knit family, a Catholic family who will be spending their first Christmas without their mother, and for Ben, without his wife.”
Ben Barboza, an NHS accountant, and his children live in Bristol.
Jacintha Saldanha, whose body was found in the hospital’s staff accommodation she used during the week, returned to the family home at weekends.
She had been expected home as usual last Friday when police broke the news of her death.
Keith Vaz said: “They [the family] were in the dark about the hoax call. They hadn’t watched the news or seen anything about it. They didn’t know they were involved until after Jacintha’s death.”
Bosses at the Australian radio station, 2Day FM, have also been under pressure to explain why they gave the go-ahead for the prank.
The company which owns the station, Southern Cross Austereo, yesterday cancelled its staff Christmas party and said it would donate the rest of the year’s advertising revenue – 500,000 AUD – to a memorial fund set up in Jacintha Saldanha’s name by the hospital.
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2Day FM, the Australian radio station whose DJs made a hoax call to nurse Jacintha Saldanha who was later found dead, is to give at least 500,000 AUD to a fund for her family.
Sydney broadcaster 2Day FM said it would donate the money from its advertising profits.
Jacintha Saldanha transferred the call to a colleague who gave information about Kate Middleton, who was a patient at the London hospital.
Her post-mortem examination is to take place later.
Jacintha Saldanha answered the Australian presenters’ call in the early hours of the morning on December 4th and, believing they were members of the Royal Family, put them through to another nurse, who gave an update on the duchess’s condition in detail.
Kate Middleton was being treated in the King Edward VII’s Hospital for hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was pronounced dead on Friday morning at staff accommodation close to the hospital. An inquest into her apparent suicide is due to be opened in the next few days.
The company which owns the station, Southern Cross Austereo, said all profits from advertising on 2Day FM for the rest of the year would be donated to an appropriate memorial fund that would directly benefit the family, with at least 500,000 Australian dollars being donated.
Rhys Holleran, SCA’s chief executive, said: “We are very sorry for what has happened. It is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts continue to be with the family.
“We hope that by contributing to a memorial fund we can help to provide the Saldanha family with the support they need at this very difficult time.”
It also cancelled its Christmas party, saying it would be “inappropriate” to go ahead.
2Day FM, the Australian radio station whose DJs made a hoax call to nurse Jacintha Saldanha who was later found dead, is to give at least 500,000 AUD to a fund for her family
Lord Glenarthur, chairman of King Edward VII’s Hospital, welcomed the media company’s decision and said it could contribute to the hospital’s own memorial fund.
He added that it had received many donations from around the world.
Jacintha Saldanha’s family made a private visit to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, where she worked, on Monday.
MP Keith Vaz, who met Jacintha Saldanha’s family in Parliament on Monday night, said they had been left “devastated” by the loss of “a loving mother and a loving wife”.
Flanked by Jacintha Saldanha’s husband Benedict Barboza and her two teenage children, Keith Vaz said: “They just want me to say that they are extremely grateful to the public here in the United Kingdom and throughout the world who have sent them messages of condolences and support following the death of Jacintha.
“This is a close family. They are devastated by what has happened. They miss her every moment of every day, but they are really grateful to the support of the British public and to the public overseas for the messages of support and kindness.”
Keith Vaz had earlier criticized the hospital for not giving the family more support.
He said: “The hospital has sent them a letter, which I have seen, but I’m surprised that nobody has made the journey to Bristol to sit with them and offer them the counselling that I think they need.”
In response, the hospital said its chief executive, John Lofthouse, had spoken to Benedict Barboza on Friday by phone and offered to meet him whenever he wanted.
The hospital has launched a memorial fund to support the nurse’s family and a private memorial service will be held later this week.
In the hoax call, the presenters, Michael Christian and Mel Greig, had pretended to be Prince Charles and the Queen asking about the duchess in hospital.
They said in a tearful interview with Australian television broadcast on Monday that they were “gutted and heartbroken” Jacintha Saldanha’s death.
Christian said: “It was something that was just fun and light-hearted and a tragic turn of events no-one could have predicted or expected.
“We are shattered, heartbroken and our deepest sympathy goes to the family, friends and all those people affected. Mel and myself are incredibly sorry for the situation and what’s happened.”
Meanwhile, Kate Middleton has cancelled an appearance at the premiere of the Hobbit on Wednesday. Her office says she will continue to “rest privately” at home. Prince William is due to attend.
Kate Middleton was being treated in the hospital for hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness.
Yet science and folklore both give us clues that suggest Prince William and Kate Middleton will have a girl.
For starters, Kate Middleton’s debilitating morning sickness, hyperemesis gravidarum, is more commonly found among women expecting girls.
And her slim build may also hint at a royal daughter. A 2008 study at the University of Exeter showed women who consumed lower-calorie diets were more likely to have girls because female foetuses can survive on fewer nutrients.
Then William’s occupation as an RAF search-and-rescue pilot could also play its part. An American study found pilots had an 80% chance of having girl babies.
One theory is that exposure to radiation on planes reduces the number of sperm carrying male chromosomes, but sperm carrying hardier female chromosomes are unaffected.
And if Kate Middleton is spotted leaving a Kensington dermatologist, it’s odds-on for a daughter.
French researchers found that mothers who suffered acne while pregnant were 90% more likely to give birth to a girl due to excess levels of the female hormone oestrogen.
On the other hand, there may be some truth in the idea that women who suffer cold feet will have a son.
Yet science and folklore both give us clues that suggest Prince William and Kate Middleton will have a girl
Cold feet are a symptom of poor circulation – and German scientists have found that this condition during pregnancy is often experienced among women expecting boys, though they haven’t yet been able to explain why.
If all else fails, there is one final method of prediction: ask the Duchess whether she thinks she is expecting a boy or a girl.
According to scientists from Arizona, women’s intuition is the most accurate gender predictor of all.
Asked to guess the sex of their child, mothers-to-be are correct 70% of the time.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian, the Australian radio hosts at the centre of Kate Middleton hospital hoax, say they are “gutted and heartbroken” over the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha.
Jacintha Saldanha was found dead on Friday, three days after taking the hoax call.
Mel Greig and Michael Christian wept as they said “not a minute goes by where we don’t think about her family”.
They had pretended to be members of the Queen and Prince Charles asking about Kate Middleton, who was being treated in hospital for acute morning sickness.
In an interview for Channel Nine’s A Current Affair programme Michael Christian told presenter Tracy Grimshaw: “When we thought about making a call it was going to go for 30 seconds we were going to be hung up on, and that was it. As innocent as that.”
Mel Greig said: “We thought a hundred people before us would’ve tried it. We thought it was such a silly idea and the accents were terrible and not for a second did we expect to speak to Kate let alone have a conversation with anyone at the hospital. We wanted to be hung up on.”
The pair said they heard about Jacintha Saldanha’s death in the early hours of Saturday morning.
“It was the worst phone call I’ve ever had in my life,” said Mel Greig.
Asked what his immediate reaction had been, Michael Christian wept and said: “Shattered, gutted, heartbroken and obviously you know. Our deepest sympathies are with the family and the friends.”
Mel Greig said: “There’s not a minute that goes by where we don’t think about her family and what they must be going through, and the thought that we may have played a part in that is gut-wrenching.”
Michael Christian added: “Prank calls are made every day, on every radio station in every country, around the world and they have been for a long time and no-one could’ve imagined this to happen.”
They were also interviewed for Channel 7’s Today Tonight programme and Mel Greig said of the moment she heard of Jacintha Saldanha’s death: “Unfortunately I remember that moment very well because I haven’t stopped thinking about it since it happened and I remember my first question was <<Was she a mother?>>”
Mel Greig and Michael Christian say they are gutted and heartbroken over the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha
Michael Christian said there was “no malice” in the prank call and “no harm intended” to the nurses, to the duchess or to Prince William.
Mel Greig said they had expected to be hung up on and she said: “The accents were terrible. You know it was designed to be stupid. We were never meant to get that far from the little corgis barking in the background – we obviously wanted it to be a joke.
“If we played any involvement in her death then we’re very sorry for that. And time will only tell.”
Mel Greig said she would give evidence at the inquest if she was required and she played down questions about her and Michael Christian’s career.
Asked about whether she felt there was a “witch hunt” against them, she said: “There’s nothing that can make me feel worse than what I feel right now. And for what I feel for the family. We’re so sorry that this has happened to them.”
Kate Middleton was taken to King Edward VII Hospital in central London last Monday, suffering from an extreme form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum.
Jacintha Saldanha had answered the presenters’ call and, believing they were members of the Royal Family, put them through to another nurse, who described the Duchess of Cambridge’s condition in detail.
She was pronounced dead on Friday morning at staff accommodation close to the hospital. An inquest into Jacintha Saldanha’s apparent suicide is due to be opened in the next few days.
Earlier the presenters’ employer, Sydney radio station 2DayFM, said at least five attempts were made to obtain the permission of the two nurses involved before airing the call.
The radio station said it was going to review its broadcasting practices.
In an interview with a Melbourne radio station 3AW, Rhys Holleran – whose company Southern Cross Austereo owns 2DayFM – said his staff had tried several times to make contact with Jacintha Saldanha and another nurse at the King Edward VII’s Hospital to get their permission to use the prank conversation before it was transmitted.
Rhys Holleran said the death of Jacintha Saldanha was “tragic” and “regrettable”, but that it “could not have been foreseen”.
Some legal experts in Australia have said if the radio station did not tell the nurses they were being recorded, or received their permission to broadcast the conversation, they may be in breach of a number of laws.
Jacintha Saldanha’s husband, Ben Barboza, wrote on his Facebook page: “I am devastated with the tragic loss of my beloved wife Jacintha in tragic circumstances.”
The family was being comforted by relatives and friends at their home in Bristol, where they were visited by Labour MP Keith Vaz on Sunday.
He said the family are “grief stricken and shocked” at Jacintha Saldanha’s death and were grateful to the hospital for establishing a memorial fund in her name.
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Australian radio station 2Day FM at the centre of the UK royal hospital hoax death says it is going to review its broadcasting practices.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead three days after putting through a call that gathered details of pregnant Kate Middleton’s condition.
The hoax call was made by DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who have been taken off air and are being counseled.
Neither have commented but do want to speak to the media, a spokeswoman said.
The board of Southern Cross Austereo, which owns the radio station, 2Day FM, met on Sunday to discuss a highly critical letter from the hospital which was the victim of the prank call.
Southern Cross Austereo chairman Max Moore-Wilton promised in a letter to the chairman of King Edward VII’s Hospital that the company would co-operate with any investigation.
He said: “We are all saddened by the events of the last few days. They are truly tragic.
“It is too early to know the full details leading to this tragic event and we are anxious to review the results of any investigation that may be made available to us or made public.
“We can assure you that we will fully cooperate with all investigations.
“As we have said in our own statements on the matter, the outcome was unforeseeable and very regrettable.
“I can assure you we are taking immediate action and reviewing the broadcast processes involved.”
Kate Middleton’s hoax call was made by DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who have been taken off air and are being counseled
An inquest into Jacintha Saldanha’s apparent suicide is due to be opened in the next few days.
She was pronounced dead on Friday morning at staff accommodation close to the hospital.
Jacintha Saldanha had answered the presenters’ call and, believing they were members of the Royal Family, put them through to another nurse, who described the Duchess of Cambridge’s condition in detail.
There has been a strong reaction both in the UK and Australia towards Mel Greig and Michael Christian since the death of Jacintha Saldanha, and both have been receiving counseling.
Both deleted their Twitter accounts and were taken off the air, but a Southern Cross Austereo spokeswoman said they had “expressed a desire to speak”.
“We haven’t ascertained when they’re ready for that and how we’re going to organize that, but they certainly want to,” the spokeswoman said.
The nurse’s family was being comforted by relatives and friends at their home in Bristol.
In a statement last night, Jacintha Saldanha’s family said they were “deeply saddened” by the death and asked for privacy.
Meanwhile, Prince William will not attend the British Military Tournament in London later on Sunday.
A St James’ Palace spokesman said the prince had opted instead to spend Sunday privately with Kate Middleton, who had been in hospital with an extreme form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum.
Prince William has pulled out of attending the British Military Tournament tonight so he can spend time with wife Kate Middleton, who is recuperating after spending three nights in hospital.
The royal couple had both originally been due to attend tonight’s event but all of Kate Middleton’s forthcoming public engagements were cancelled after she received treatment for severe morning sickness.
It comes after Prince William, 30, joked at an event yesterday evening that morning sickness should be renamed as Kate Middleton suffered it all day and night.
It now appears unlikely that the Duchess will attend the premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey film in the West End on Wednesday, and may not make another public appearance for several weeks.
A St James’s Palace spokesman said: “The Duke of Cambridge will no longer attend the British Military Tournament at Earl’s Court this evening, but will spend Sunday privately with the Duchess instead.
“It is well known that hyperemesis gravidarum often recurs and, until further notice, to allow the Duchess a degree of privacy during her pregnancy, we do not intend to offer regular condition checks or advise of routine developments associated with it.”
Prince William has pulled out of attending the British Military Tournament tonight so he can spend time with wife Kate Middleton, who is recuperating after spending three nights in hospital
The cancellation of Prince William’s attendance at the event, billed as “the largest display of military theatre in the world”, comes after he last night attended a charity event.
He went solo for the first time since the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, also 30, was discharged from hospital.
The Duke of Cambridge attended a glittering charity tennis gala, the Winter Whites Gala, held in aid of homeless charity Centrepoint, at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
He was due to be accompanied by the Duchess, but she is resting after suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, an acute – and potentially dangerous – form of morning sickness.
Prince William, who is patron of Centrepoint, was congratulated by many on the news that a baby is on the way.
Benedict Barboza, the grieving husband of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who died in a suspected suicide near King Edward VII Hospital, has tonight told of his devastation at her death.
Benedict Barboza, a 49-year-old hospital accountant, also known as Ben, posted a tribute to Jacintha Saldanha on his Facebook page.
Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old mother of two, had been manning the hospital switchboard when the Australian hoaxers called and she transferred the call to Kate Middleton’s ward.
The boss of 2Day FM radio station at the centre of the royal hoax call today refused to sack the DJs behind the stunt and painted them as victims.
Benedict Barboza, the grieving husband of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who died in a suspected suicide near King Edward VII Hospital, has tonight told of his devastation at her death
Rhys Holleran, the chief executive of Southern Cross Austereo, which owns the station, said the presenters were “completely shattered” and had been offered counseling.
2DayFM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian were taken off air after it emerged nurse Jacintha Saldanha who took their prank call at Kate Middleton’s hospital had died in a suspected suicide.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha died on Friday in an apparent suicide after she transferred a hoax call from Australian DJs who retrieved sensitive information about Kate Middleton while in King Edward WII Hospital.
Jacintha Saldanha, 46, also known as Jess, is thought to have come to the UK from southern India ten years ago and settled in the UK with her partner, 49-year-old hospital accountant Benedict Barboza.
The couple bought their £123,000 three-bedroomed home in 2005 in the Westbury-on-Trym district of Bristol.
After registering as a nurse in 2003 when she initially worked for the North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Frenchay and Southmead hospitals, it is believed the nurse chose to apply for a job at King Edward VII four years ago and appears to have been living in the nursing accommodation ever since.
Jacintha Saldanha died on Friday in an apparent suicide after she transferred a hoax call from Australian DJs who retrieved sensitive information about Kate Middleton
She has a son called Junal, 16, and daughter, believed to be 14. She stayed in London when she was working before returning to her family on days off.
Jacintha Saldanha is thought to have been from the Mangalore region of India. She is thought to have spent time in the Middle East before moving to Britain.
The hospital said Jacintha Saldanha had not been disciplined over the call.
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