At the time, the pair were hosts on Sydney’s 2Day FM. Posing as the late Queen Elizabeth II and then-Prince Charles, they phoned King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, where Kate Middleton was being treated for severe morning sickness during her pregnancy with Prince George.

The prank call and its devastating consequences

The presenters’ impersonations convinced Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old mother of two, that she was speaking to members of the royal family. As a result, she transferred the call to the ward where the Princess of Wales was staying.

After later realising she had been deceived, Saldanha tragically took her own life.

According to The Times, one of the three notes she wrote before her death expressed anger toward the Australian DJs and blamed them for her decision.

Prince William’s letter to the family

Following the tragedy, Saldanha’s family shared the contents of a letter sent to them by Prince William, dated New Year’s Day 2013.

In the letter, the then-Duke of Cambridge spoke warmly about the care Kate had received at the hospital and expressed his condolences.

“It is unbelievably sad and we both extend to and your family our deepest condolences,” he wrote.

“We were both very shocked to hear about Jacintha and have been thinking about her a lot recently. Many of the nurses spoke highly of her and I’m sure you know how great a nurse she was.”

William concluded by saying: “Jacintha and her colleagues looked after us extremely well and I am just so sorry that someone who cared for others so much found themselves in such a desperate situation.”

Fallout for the radio presenters

In the aftermath of the prank call, both Mel Greig and Michael Christian faced widespread public condemnation, death threats, and lasting damage to their professional reputations. They later argued that responsibility should have rested with their broadcaster.

Christian remained with his employer, Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), but claimed he was sidelined and “made a scapegoat.” He also said he never received the support he was allegedly promised to help rebuild his career after the incident.

Earlier this year, Christian was made redundant and has since launched legal action against SCA, seeking compensation for lost earnings and damages, arguing that his redundancy was not legitimate.

Mel Greig’s decision to step away

Greig chose a different path, leaving the radio station much sooner. In 2014, she revealed that she had struggled with depression following the scandal and that her mother had received death threats.

She publicly expressed regret over the incident, saying she was ashamed she had not done more to prevent the prank from being broadcast.

While voicing sympathy for the Saldanha family, Greig also said she understood Christian’s decision to take legal action and called for better reforms in how media organisations support their staff in the wake of such crises.