Did a couple of Australian DJs managed to victimize the
Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton during her hospital say via a “Royal Phone
Hoax” prank call?
By: Ringo Bones
Even though tenured historians are very much reluctant to
admit it but so called “prank calls”, or “hoax callers”, had probably been
around since everyone started using Alexander Graham Bell’s then newly-invented
telephone. And believe-it-or-not, the latest victim of this “phone shenanigan”
is no less the currently most beloved British monarch – as in HRH the Duchess
of Cambridge Kate Middleton.
During her “routine” hospital check up in the King Edward
VII Hospital after a bout of morning sickness due to her pregnancy, the Duchess
of Cambridge’s “confidential” medical results were inadvertently leaked by an
inexperienced hospital staff who fell victim to a “Royal Phone Hoax” back in
Wednesday, December 5, 2012, by someone impersonating to be HRH Queen Elizabeth
II no less. The so-called hoaxers were later identified to be DJs from an
Australian FM station named Mel and Michael of 2Day FM.
Unfortunately, this resulted in a “royal uproar” given that
British laws consider unlawfully snooping on someone’s confidential medical
results is considered an invasion of someone’s privacy under existing laws and
statutes in the UK. If the House of Winsor ever decides to press charges and
pursue the two Australian crank callers to the fullest extent of the law, Mel
and Kim of 2Day FM could probably spend some serious jail-time. Although a few
years ago, former Republican 2008 U.S. Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin
was victimized by French phone hoaxers, who are also DJs of a French FM
station, claiming to be the then French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Tragically, this "Royal Phone Hoax" resulted in the suicide of nurse Jacintha Saldanha. Even Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is now ashamed of the deplorable act done by those two Australian DJs.
ReplyDeleteAustralia's highest court on Wednesday, March 4, 2015 cleared the way for the radio station to face penalties over the 2012 prank call to a London hospital that was caring for the Duchess of Cambridge. A nurse who transferred the call committed suicide after the broadcast. Two Australian DJs from the radio station 2DayFM impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and her son Prince Charles when they phoned that particular London hospital back in 2012 to ask about the condition of the Duchess of Cambridge, who at the time had been hospitalized for morning sickness. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha took the call and passed it into a colleague who described Kate's condition. Three days after the call was broadcasted worldwide, Saldanha, 46, was found dead in her room.
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