Body of nurse found hanged after royal hoax call flown to India for funeral

Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found hanged in her nurses’ quarters at London’s King Edward VII’s Hospital by a colleague and a security guard on December 7.

Three days earlier she had transferred a call from two Australian DJs, believing they were the Queen and Prince of Wales, to a colleague who described in detail the Duchess’s condition.

Her funeral will take place today at Our Lady of Health Church in the town of Shirva, Karnataka, at 4pm local time, her family said.

Ms Saldanha’s children described the “unfillable void” left in their lives by their mother’s death as a mass was held at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday

Following the service, her husband Benedict Barboza and two children Junal and Lisha paid an emotional tribute to a “kind-hearted, generous and well-respected woman”.

Fighting back tears, Mr Barboza said: “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.”

Ms Saldanha’s daughter Lisha, 14, said: “We are shattered and there’s an unfillable void in our lives. We love you mum, sleep in peace and watch over us until me meet again in heaven. We will always love you and keep you close to our heart.”

Her son Junal, 16, said: “Our mother, kind hearted, generous and a well respected woman in both of our lives. You were the core of the family who kept is together.”

Standing outside the cathedral alongside their local MP Charlotte Leslie and MP Keith Vaz, who has been campaigning on behalf of the family, Mr Barboza said the family “could not have foreseen the unprecedented tragedy that has unfolded in our lives”. He thanked the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Premier David Cameron for their condolences.