Funeral of Royal nurse in India

The funeral is being held for the nurse who was found dead after becoming the victim of a prank call at the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated.

The Our Lady of Health Church in Shriva in south-west India was packed with mourners, including Jacintha Saldanha's husband and children.

The body of Jacintha Saldanha, the British nurse who apparently committed suicide after taking a prank call, was brought to a church in southern India for a memorial service and burial.

Saldanha will be buried in her home village of Shirva in southern Karnataka state after the memorial.

Her widower Ben Barboza looked after the preparations for his wife's memorial and funeral at "Our lady of health" church in Shirva, about 52 km (32 miles) north of Mangalore.

Her son, Junal and daughter Lisha accompanied the body in the ambulance and entered with the casket into the church for her memorial service.

The memorial service and burial of the nurse duped by a hoax phone call, has taken place in India. Thousands of mourners, joined Jacintha Saldanha's husband and two children to pay their last respects.

Mrs Saldanha is thought to have taken her own life just days after taking a phone call from two Australian DJs pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.

Thousands of people are expected at the funeral of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, which will be held in India today.

She was found hanged after taking a hoax phone call to the London hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge.

She'll be buried in her home village of Shirva in India's southwest.

The body of royal nurse Jacintha Saldanha has arrived in India ahead of her funeral tomorrow.

The senior leader of India's ruling Congress Party, Oscar Fernandes, said Ms Saldanha's family are "very much touched".

Ms Saldanha will be buried in her home village of Shirva tomorrow.

The body of royal hoax nurse Jacintha Saldanha is due to arrive in Mangalore on the west coast of India today ahead of tomorrow's funeral.

Local Indian MP Jayprakash Hegde told the Associated Press on Saturday, "The body is coming tomorrow [Sunday] to Mangalore, [the] day after tomorrow is the funeral in Shirva it seems".

It comes a day after Ms Saldanha's family gave an emotional tribute outside Westminster Cathedral following a memorial mass in her honour.

Ms Saldanha's son, Junal, and daughter, Lisha, said her death had left "an unfillable void", while her husband, Benedict Barboza, called the nurse "the light of my darkness".

Police in Mangalore, near Shirva where Ms Saldanha's funeral will be held, told AFP her body would be accompanied by her husband and children.

Benedict Barboza, the husband of nurse Jacintha Saldanha says he feels like a 'piece of him has been ripped out' following her death.

The daughter of Jacintha Saldanha has paid tribute to her mother following a memorial service held in her memory early today.

The children of royal nurse Jacintha Saldanha have paid tribute to her in the order of service:

"Our mother, kind hearted, generous and a well respected woman in both of our lives. You were the core of the family who kept us together. In times of difficulty you showed us the way forward to happiness and success.

We will miss your laughter, the loving memories and the good times we had together. The house is an empty dwelling without your presence. We are shattered and there's an unfillable void in our lives. We love you Mum, Sleep in peace and please watch over us until we meet again in heaven. "