The Surprising Nicknames the British Royal Family Call Each Other Behind Palace Doors
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Yes, members of the British royal family may hold several fancy titles and only use their first names, but they are also just like us and have nicknames. In fact, some of them even have multiple monikers like Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Middleton, Prince William, and Prince Harry — and they're pretty hilarious, too! Remember when Kate revealed that George calls her majesty "Gan-Gan"? Well, that's just the tip of the iceberg. From "Squeak" to "Cabbage" to "Spike Wells," keep reading to find out what nicknames the British royal family have given each other. And who knows, maybe Meghan Markle will get one when she marries Harry in May.
Prince William
- Wombat: In an interview with NBC's Matt Lauer in 2007, William revealed that "wombat" was Princess Diana's nickname for him when he was a kid. "It kind of stuck with me. I can't get rid of it now," William said. "It began when I was 2. I've been rightfully told because I can't remember back that far. But we went to Australia with our parents, and the wombat, you know, that's the local animal . . . So I just basically got called that. Not because I look like a wombat — or maybe I do."
- Steve: While attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, William reportedly used the fake name to maintain a low profile.
- Babe: During a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in 2016, Kate Middleton referred to her husband as "babe" as they checked out flower arrangements.
Kate Middleton
- Babykins: When Prince William's phone was hacked in 2006, his private messages revealed that he referred to Kate as "babykins" and "baby."
- Darling: In 2016, William and Kate were overheard calling each other "darling" at the Chelsea Flower Show.
- Poppet: William has also been heard calling Kate "poppet" multiple times.
- Squeak: During a visit to St. Andrews in 2012, Kate revealed that her classmates used to call her "Squeak" after the school's guinea pig. "There was one called Pip and one called Squeak, so my sister [Pippa Middleton] was called Pip and I was Squeak."
- Princess-in-waiting: Kate was given the moniker by her friends during her time at Marlborough College because she reportedly had a photo of William on her wall.
Prince George
- PG Tips: According to the HuffPost, Prince William and Kate Middleton's friends started calling George "PG" for short, but the couple took things a step further and dubbed him "PG Tips" like the teabags.
- Georgie: Shortly after George was born, Prince Charles said his grandson would have the nickname "Georgie in no time."
Prince Harry
- Harry: Harry isn't actually the royal's real name — it's Henry. The royal prefers to use his nickname, just like his soon-to-be-wife Meghan Markle.
- Ginger: During an interview with NBC News back in June 2007, Prince William revealed that Princess Diana used to refer to Harry as "Ginger."
- Spike Wells: Before deleting his secret Facebook page, Harry reportedly created an account under the pseudonym.
Queen Elizabeth II
- Cabbage: While the origin of the nickname remains unclear, Prince Philip's pet name for his wife is "cabbage."
- Gan-Gan: Kate Middleton revealed that Prince George calls his great-grandmother "Gan-Gan" in a documentary for the queen's 90th birthday. According to royal biographer Kitty Kelly, the term is used to describe great-grandmothers.
- Gary: Prince William reportedly used to call the queen "Gary" when he was a kid because he couldn't pronounce "Granny."
- Tillabet: The queen actually referred to herself as "Tillabet" when she was a little girl, and once she got older, her friends and family began calling her "Lilibet."
Prince Charles
- Pa: When Prince Harry interviewed his dad for BBC Radio 4's Today show in December 2017, he began the interview by addressing his dad as "Pa."
- Fred: Camilla Parker Bowles's pet name for her husband is Fred.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
- Gaga: At the annual Royal Variety Performance in London back in 2016, Camilla told Lady Gaga that she and the singer share a nickname. "My grandchildren call me Gaga," Camilla said.
- Gladys: Prince Charles gave his wife the moniker before they were even married. At the time, Charles was still with Princess Diana, but was having an affair with Camilla. Diana reportedly once found a gold bracelet that Charles had engraved for Camilla with the letters "G" and F" for their nicknames, Gladys and Fred.