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Home / Lifestyle

Gromit, Tungsten and Gary: The royal family's hilarious nicknames revealed

NZ Herald
30 Jan, 2019 07:47 PM2 mins to read

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The royal family have lots of fun nicknames for each other. Photo / Getty Images

The royal family have lots of fun nicknames for each other. Photo / Getty Images

Every family has their fair share of loving, funny nicknames for each other, and it turns out the royal family is no different.

According to royal insiders, even the Queen isn't without a pet name. And the fond monikers extend beyond the Windsors too, with Kate's sister Pippa picking up a nickname of her own: "Squeak", which was originally Pipsqueak during her school days.

Some nicknames, however, have been fleeting: Kate and William's hilarious nicknames have reportedly evolved as they've grown older together. It's alleged Kate used to refer to her then-boyfriend, Prince William, as "Big Willy". Now, 18 years later, he's said to be known to his wife as "Prince Baldy".

It's been alleged Kate used to call Prince William "Big Willy". Photo / Getty Images
It's been alleged Kate used to call Prince William "Big Willy". Photo / Getty Images

The future king has apparently bestowed a pet name on his wife too, calling her "DoD". An acronym for "Duchess of Do-little", it hardly seems relevant considering the amount of charity work the royal undertakes.

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It is said that the couple also have nicknames for their oldest child, Prince George. While it was recently reported that he told a woman his name was "Archie", he's also been referred to as "our little grape" while Kate was pregnant with him. Royal insiders claim the little prince is now called "PG tips", after the British tea brand.

It turns out the royal family love a cheeky moniker too. Photos / Getty Images
It turns out the royal family love a cheeky moniker too. Photos / Getty Images

The Queen may have the most informal name of all: It's claimed Prince William calls her "Gary", a hangover from childhood when he struggled with "Granny". Now Prince George lovingly refers to his Great-Grandmother as "gan gan".

Considered the cheekiest member of the royal family, it's not surprising that Prince Harry looks to have the most nicknames: Flash, Gromit, Potter are all alternatives used among family members.

And his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex has reportedly been given the name "Tungsten" by Prince Charles, in reference to her alleged mental strength.

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The Queen is lovingly referred to as "gan gan" by Prince George. Photo / Getty Images
The Queen is lovingly referred to as "gan gan" by Prince George. Photo / Getty Images

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