Jacintha Saldanha – one of the nurses duped by a hoax call to the hospital where Kate Middleton was being treated – left a suicide note for her family, the Evening Standard reports. According to the London-based paper, the mum-of-two left the letter addressing her husband Ben Barboza, 49, and their children Junal, 17, and Lisha, who is 14.
Despite the development, the family still believe there are "unexplained circumstances" surrounding their relative's death. Home Office pathologists are now carrying out a post-mortem on Jacintha to determine the exact cause of her death, and provide definitive answers for her mourning family. The results of the examination are expected to be announced later today. On Friday, the tragic nurse died in what appeared to be a suicide, 48 hours after radio station 2Day FM broadcast a prank during which Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian posed as Prince Charles and the Queen. Jacintha put the call through to the ward at King Edward VII hospital where pregnant Kate was being looked after for severe morning sickness, and another nurse, thinking she was really talking to the monarch and the Prince of Wales, gave out personal medical information concerning the royal, who has since been released and is currently resting at Kensington Palace as she recovers from hyperemesis gravidarum.
After the incident, St James's Palace released a statement on behalf of William and Kate which said they were "deeply saddened" by the news, adding: "Their Royal Highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time." The hospital has now set up a private memorial fund to help support the late nurse's relatives, who made a private visit to the facility on Monday before meeting with MP Keith Vaz at Parliament. The politician said Jacintha's husband Benedict Barboza and her two teenage children had been left "devastated" by the loss of "a loving mother and a loving wife". He added: "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."
The two DJs who were responsible for the prank gave an emotional interview shown on Australian TV on Monday, saying that they were "gutted and heartbroken" over the tragedy.
