When you think of the Royal Family, it’s easy to think of all the pomp and ceremony associated with it.
But behind closed doors, when the world isn’t watching, King Charles, Camilla, Kate, William, and the rest of the British royals are a lot more like us regular folk – adorable nicknames included!
“The royals are not very good at communicating with one another, so this is one way around it. Nicknames are a way of taking the family tension out of things,” one insider previously told The Sun.
“They can also be a rather childlike family. They love to play games, and they give each other silly presents. I think it’s because they have to be so earnest in their public lives.”
If you ever wondered what William calls Kate when they’re lounging in front of the TV, look no further, because we’ve got a comprehensive guide to the secret nicknames the royals have for each other.
Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales
The Prince and Princess of Wales have been known to use a fair few nicknames over the years. In 2016, the couple called each other “babe” and “darling” during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show.
But, according to The Sun, Kate used to have one nickname for Wills that was well… a bit NSFW!
Back in their university days, Kate called her then-boyfriend “Baldy” and “Big Willy”
A source told the publication that “Baldy” came about after William “complained about her endless mane of hair”. “Baldy” was her “sharp retort”, the insider added.
For his part, William has had a couple of nicknames for Kate, too – one of which was the rather surprising “DoD”, meaning “Duchess of Dolittle”.
It’s said to stem from the fact that, before she married William, she is reported to have been criticised by the Queen for not having a full-time job!
“Royals have always played in private. So William and Kate are really carrying on a long-held tradition,” an insider told The Sun.
“It’s done with affection usually, and there are grains of truth about what one feels about another.”
Back in childhood, William was called “Willie the Wombat” by his mum, Princess Diana, apparently after he became obsessed with the animal during a tour to Australia when he was two.
At school, Kate was known as “Squeak” – meaning that when joined by her sister Pippa, the pair became “PipSqueak”.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Back in his army days, Harry is thought to have been dubbed “Flash”, perhaps a nod to the charming but unscrupulous fictional character who stars in George MacDonald Fraser’s series of historical novels called The Flashman Papers.
Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, is said to have called her youngest son “GKH”, which stood for “Good King Harry”.
The Duke of Sussex is famously known as “Haz” or “H” by his wife, Meghan Markle.
Meghan has also jokingly used the more formal “Harold”, something that came to light during their Netflix series Harry & Meghan in 2022.
Harry, meanwhile, calls Meghan “Meg” or “M” – a mirroring of her nickname for him.
In April 2025, Meghan revealed the single-letter monikers were part of the secret “code” they used when they first met.
“Probably at the beginning of us dating, when everything was in code,” Meghan told her friend Jamie Kern Lima on a podcast.
“People didn’t know we were dating for, talk about memory lane, so long ago. I mean, it’ll be our seven-year wedding anniversary soon. I couldn’t tell anyone who I was dating, and who was keeping [the secret], so I think we were just on a letter basis.”
Meghan said that the nicknames then just “stuck”, adding, “I like it. I love nicknames”.
King Charles and Queen Camilla
Did you know that Charles and Camilla used to go by the names Fred and Gladys? The nicknames were apparently inspired by characters on a BBC radio show, and the duo are said to have used them when they dated in their 20s.
However, those same names became central to a dramatic moment that occurred days before Charles’s wedding to Princess Diana.
Diana reportedly found a box hidden in the office of her husband’s private secretary. Inside was a gold bracelet engraved with the letters G and F.
It’s said the gift was meant for Camilla.
Diana would later say the discovery left her “devastated,” and she initially told her sisters she couldn’t go ahead with the wedding, before changing her mind.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Dimbleby, the former journalist who wrote Charles’ biography, Prince of Wales: A Biography, has said the letters on the bracelet stood for something else.
He explained they represented “Girl Friday” – another nickname Charles is said to have had for Camilla.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
The late Queen’s most famous nickname is of course “Lilibet”, the name Prince Harry and Meghan later gave their daughter.
The Queen earned the name as a toddler because she couldn’t pronounce “Elizabeth” properly.
She is also known to have been called “Gan-Gan” by her great-grandchildren.
Her husband, Prince Philip, is said to have regularly addressed the Queen as “Cabbage”.
“I inquired in royal circles and was told on very good authority that that is what the duke sometimes calls the Queen,” broadcaster Piers Morgan would later say.
Philip is also said to have called Elizabeth “Sausage” on occasion.
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