Kate Middleton had her voicemail hacked during her relationship with Prince William, revealing to the world her then boyfriend’s nickname for her — Babykins.
The voicemail hack came to light on Thursday during court proceedings related to the now-defunct News of the World’s voicemail hacking scandal. Clive Goodman, the tabloid’s royal editor, said the news came across recordings that Prince William had left for his then-girlfriend Kate Middleton.
The Duke of Cambridge also revealed a near-death experience while he was training at Sandhurst Military Academy.
In the message to Kate Middleton, Prince William said:
“Hi baby, it’s me,. Sorry I’ve just got back in off my night navigation exercise, I think I missed you by about ten minutes.
“I am still up and about for the next sort of 20 minutes, so I’m going to have quick shower,” he continued. “So if you’ve missed me don’t, erm you know, keep your phone on for at least another 25 minutes or so unless you’re out and having fun, which I think you are.”
He explains, “I’ve been running around the woods of Aldershot chasing shadows and getting horribly lost and I walked into some other regiment’s ambush, which was slightly embarrassing because I nearly got shot.”
The voicemail led to a story in News of the World titled “William got shot in night exercise in Aldershot” and a feature column in the paper in 2006.
In another, less revealing voicemail, Prince William calls girlfriend Kate Middleton “babykins” as he’s saying goodbye.
While the hacked voicemails could have dire legal consequences for the News of the World leadership, it reveals another intimate detail in the private life of Kate and William. Earlier this month it was revealed that the couple sits down together to watch the royal drama Downton Abbey.
It also represents yet another encroach into Kate Middleton’s personal life. In summer 2012, the royal family was rocked by a scandal when a photographer spied on a topless Kate sunbathing, and the pictures then became tabloid fodder throughout the world.
