The Royal Family’s Nicknames For One Another Are Absolutely Adorable

Although the royal family seems very stuffy and proper from the outside with their lengthy list of rules and etiquette, they are just as human as anyone else and their endearing nicknames for one another are proof of that. Travel + Leisure magazine divulged the royal family nicknames and they are adorably embarrassing.

The latest addition to the royal family, Meghan Markle, received an odd yet endearing nickname from her father-in-law Prince Charles. His pet name for her is “tungsten,” which is a rare type of metal. His reason for this peculiar nickname? Travel + Leisure says it’s because Markle is “strong and unbending.”

“Prince Charles admires Meghan for her strength and the backbone she gives Harry, who needs a tungsten-type figure in his life as he can be a bit of a softy,” the Daily Mail cites an inside source. “It’s become a term of endearment.”

Markle also has nicknames given to her by her parents. Her mother calls her “flower” and her father calls her “bean.”

Prince Harry has various nicknames, including “Spike,” given to him after he made a Facebook account using the fake name Spike Wells. However, his current nickname is “Haz,” which he received from Meghan Markle shortly after they started dating.

Prince William’s nickname is “wombat,” given to him by his late mother Princess Diana. In a Today Show interview in 2007, he related a story of how when he was quite young, the family visited Australia where the local animal is a wombat. He stated, “So I just basically got called that. Not because I look like a wombat, or maybe I do,” according to Travel + Leisure.

Kate Middleton received her nickname “poppet” from her husband Prince William. He has reportedly called her poppet for years, often times in public.

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, revealed to singer Lady Gaga at a Royal Variety Performance in 2016 that her nickname is “Gaga.” She was reportedly given the name by Prince George and Princess Charlotte as a way of differentiating her from their maternal grandmother, Carol Middleton, and paternal grandmother, “Granny Diana.”

The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, is called “squeak” in reference to a beloved guinea pig she had when she was younger.

“There was one called Pip and one called Squeak because my sister was called Pippa and I was Squeak,” she said of the nickname, according to the Express.

Last but not least, Queen Elizabeth II has the best nickname of the family. Her close friends and husband Prince Philip have long called her “Lilibet.” Her grandchildren lovingly call her “Gary,” the result of Prince William’s inability to say the word “grandma” when he was little.