How quickly glad tidings can turn to dust.

No sooner had the joyful news been announced that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — Will and Kate — were expecting their first child than tragedy struck.

Jacintha Saldanha took her own life after fielding a call from Australian radio pranksters.

Her death will for ever cast a shadow over the child’s birth, a somber reflection that one foolish action can turn joy to tragedy overnight.