Red-faced nurse in Kate's hospital ward falls for prank call

The London hospital treating Prince William's pregnant wife Kate for severe morning sickness admitted on Wednesday it had fallen for a prank call from an Australian radio station, relaying personal details about her condition.

Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, was admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital in central London on Monday suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, acute morning sickness which causes severe nausea and vomiting.

News of her pregnancy and her hospitalization generated a worldwide media frenzy with journalists excitedly reporting any updates on her condition along with the facial expressions of William when he arrives and departs.

However, two presenters from Sydney's 2DayFM radio station managed to go one step further after calling the hospital pretending to be William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and his father, Prince Charles, who is heir to the throne.

Despite putting on unconvincing impressions of the royal duo, the presenters were put through to the ward where Kate is being treated and were given intimate details about how she was faring.

"She is sleeping at the moment and she has had an uneventful night," a nurse who sounded flustered told the presenters, who called in the early hours of Tuesday.

"Sleep is good for her. She's been given some fluids to rehydrate her because she was quite dehydrated when she came in.

"But she's stable at the moment."

The nurse then told the duo that they would be welcome to come and visit after 9 am when Kate had been "freshened up".

"She hasn't had any retching with me since I've been on duty and she has been sleeping on and off. I think it's difficult sleeping in a strange bed as well."

The Australian radio station issued an apology on Thursday, but said the call had been made with "lighthearted intentions".

"We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the inquiry to Kate's hospital," a spokeswoman for the station said in a statement. "We wish Kate and her family all the best and we're glad to hear she's doing well."

However, the station still plugged the hoax call story on its website, calling it the "Biggest Royal Prank Ever".

The two presenters, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, said they were surprised that the call was put through.

"We thought we'd be hung up on as soon as they heard our terrible accents," they said. "We're very sorry if we've caused any issues and we're glad to hear that Kate is doing well."

The hospital said it deeply regretted the incident.

In another development, Kate was discharged from the hospital on Thursday.

Accompanied by her husband, she appeared on the hospital steps, smiling and holding a bouquet of yellow flowers. Neither she nor William spoke to waiting reporters before being driven away.

Reuters