9 Hidden Meanings Behind Royal Nicknames

Being accustomed to hearing venerable titles like “Her Royal Highness” or “His Majesty” can sometimes make the ordinary lives of royals seem like they happen in a whole other universe. But there’s something we both have in common, they enjoy having the endearing nicknames that their family members call them whenever the camera stops rolling.

Bright Side loves to see fun and wholesomeness between members of the Royal Family. That’s why we’d like to share a few of their sweet nicknames for each other.

1. Queen Elizabeth — “Cabbage”

The Queen and the late Prince Philip have the most endearing display of affection, even in the public eye. Because of that, Queen Elizabeth always fell victim to adorable nicknames from her husband. One, in particular, was “Cabbage.” Quite odd, but it originally came from the French phrase “mon petit chou,” which was supposed to mean “my little cream puff,” but read as “cabbage” in English.

Prince Philip also fancied calling the monarch “Lilibet” as a sweet gesture to her days of being a young princess when she couldn’t pronounce “Elizabeth” correctly, and her family just went with it. Prince Harry and Meghan’s daughter was even named after the classic moniker.

2. Prince Harry — “My little Spencer”

The Duke of Sussex was considered a mama’s boy because of his closeness to the late Princess Diana. Despite her long and frequent travels abroad, Lady Di never failed to bond with her youngest son. She even called Harry “my little Spencer” during her intimate moments with him, as he looked so much like her siblings.

3. Prince William — “Steve”

Being next in line for the throne may have perks, but Prince William needed to keep an arm’s length from fame while attending college. To stay under the radar, friends started referring to him as “Steve” when talking in the school hall and going out. And officially, he was registered as “William Wales.”

4. Prince Charles and Camilla — “Fred and Gladys”

The royal couple who proved that it’s not too late to get that happy ending has been calling each other the funny names, “Fred and Gladys,” from Prince Charles’s favorite radio comedy show, The Goon Show. This is a way for them to poke fun at each other. Kidding aside, the Prince of Wales calls his dear wife “Mehbooba,” which means “my beloved” in Urdu.

5. Zara Tindall — “Zed”

Zara, the first daughter of Princess Anne, has found love with former rugby player Mike Tindall. The pair share 3 wonderful children and often stay low-key and away from the limelight except for when performing their royal duties.

Mike still feels giddy when talking about his royal wife. He once shared in a sports podcast, “I did just send Zed a message, going ’Shush, please’,” and accidentally slipping the sweet moniker he has for her.

6. Princess Beatrice — “Beabea”

The only girls of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson share an unspeakable closeness. They can be spotted together almost all the time if they’re not hanging out with their spouses. It’s not surprising that they have cute names for each other.

In an Instagram post, Princess Eugenie called her older sister a lovely nickname on her birthday: “You have been bossing it since before I was born and continue to be the most wonderful person, friend, and big sister. Happy Birthday to you Beabea!! Xx.”

7. Princess Charlotte — “Mignonette”

Will and Kate’s only girl shares the most adorable bond with her parents. They even have different pet names for her. Although she’s known as “Charlotte Cambridge” in school, Princess Charlotte is referred to as “Mignonette” by her dad on several occasions. Meanwhile, Kate dearly calls her “Lottie.”

8. Princess Eugenie — “Magic dust”

Although she famously goes by “Euge,” Princess Eugenie is called by another endearing phrase by her mom Sarah. The Duchess of York referred to her daughter as her little “magic dust” when she greeted her during her 30th birthday.

When Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank welcomed their first child, Sarah even dropped the sweet phrase again. “Hello! Magic dust is in the air,” she said.

9. Kate Middleton — “Squeak”

Growing up in an ordinary household, Kate and her sister, Pippa, had the luxury of caring for any pet their hearts desired. That was when the Duchess of Cambridge was jokingly called “Squeak” after one of her school’s guinea pigs. “There was one called Pip and one called Squeak, so my sister was called Pip, and I was Squeak,” she shared during a visit to her old school.

Which of these Royal Family members do you adore the most? Which of their nicknames caught you by surprise?