Every Cute (and Sometimes Confusing) Royal Family Nickname: Squeak, Gary, and More

By Laura Rizzo Chagani Parade - Trending Stories

Updated April 27, 2026 12:00 AM

The British royal family lives in the spotlight, but the many nicknames they have for each other show they're just like any other family. Keep reading to see their inside jokes and reasons behind their (sometimes silly) nicknames.

Prince William: Wombat, Willy, One-Pint-Willy

Princess Diana gave Prince William the nickname Wombat. The origin of the nickname goes back to babyhood. Diana and her former husband, King Charles III, brought William on his first royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1983, when he was 9 months old.

"The wombat, you know, that's the local animal, so I just basically got called that," William told Matt Lauer during a 2007 interview. "Not because I look like a wombat … Or maybe I do."

Prince Harry refers to his brother as Willy, which he revealed in his 2023 memoir, Spare. One-Pint-Willy was given to him by his cousin Zara Tindall's husband, Mike Tindall. During an appearance on the "Seven: Rob Burrow" podcast in December 2023, Mike, a former rugby player, jokingly called the Prince of Wales a "lightweight" and said he's "not the best of drinkers." Zara quipped that Mike was going to be "in so much trouble" for revealing the nickname.

Mike later apologized to William for publicly sharing their inside joke, which the heir apparent laughed off.

Prince Harry: Harold, Bazzarooni, Haz, Spike, GKH

Harry in itself is a nickname, as the Duke of Sussex's birth name is Henry Charles Albert David. He has revealed that William and Charles call him Harold, and his friends have been known to call him a variety of nicknames, like Baz and Bazzarooni. Spike was a well-known nickname for Harry among his social group, even used by Princess Diana, which was a reference to his spiky red hair. More recently, Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, calls him Haz.

Diana also referred to her youngest son as GKH, or Good King Harry. While the nickname was lighthearted and meant to make Harry feel special, Diana's close friend and royal expert Richard Kay claimed on the "Palace Confidential" podcast that Diana thought Harry would be better suited for the throne and worried William's shy nature would make it too difficult.

Meghan Markle: Flower, Tungsten

Flower is a sweet nickname Meghan's mom, Doria Ragland, has called her since childhood, the Duchess of Sussex previously revealed on her now-defunct lifestyle site, The Tig.

As she joined the royal family, her father-in-law, Charles, gave her the nickname Tungsten because of her perceived toughness, resilience, and unbending nature under public pressure and scrutiny.

Kate Middleton: Squeak, Poppet

The Princess of Wales previously revealed her childhood nickname, Squeak. During a visit to her alma mater, St. Andrew's School in Pangbourne, she asked the students if they had any pets before talking about her childhood guinea pigs.

"There was one called Pip and one called Squeak, because my sister was called Pippa and I was Squeak," Kate said in 2016, per The Mirror. Although she didn't divulge why she was called Squeak, she has mentioned her soft speaking voice in the past.

William has been heard calling his wife Poppet in public, which is a term of endearment in the U.K.

Prince George: PG Tips

William and Kate's oldest son is reportedly called PG Tips, shortened to Tips, by his inner circle. PG Tips is a popular tea brand and incorporates the young prince's initials.

Princess Charlotte: Lottie, Poppet

Charlotte's parents, William and Kate, reportedly refer to her as Lottie, a shortened version of her full name. Like her mother, Charlotte is also affectionately referred to as Poppet by her family.

Prince Louis: Lou-Bugs

Kate was overheard using the adorable nickname in May 2023 during a volunteer event. She told her youngest, "Pop that in the fire, Lou-Bugs," while roasting marshmallows.

Queen Elizabeth: Lilibet, Cabbage, Gary, Gan-Gan

Queen Elizabeth II's parents, close friends, and husband, Prince Philip, referred to her as Lilibet. The nickname lives on as Prince Harry and Meghan named their daughter Princess Lilibet.

Philip was also heard calling his wife Cabbage, a private term of endearment. However, the motherload of nicknames was given to Elizabeth by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Prince William reportedly fell in Buckingham Palace as a toddler and called out for "Gary," which Elizabeth explained to a confused staffer was her, as he couldn't yet say "Granny." Her great-grandchildren also called her Gan-Gan, which was reportedly coined by Prince George.

King Charles and Queen Camilla: Fred and Gladys

Early in their friendship, Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, referred to each other as Fred and Gladys, inspired by characters from the BBC radio comedy The Goon Show. Their inside joke took a controversial turn when they used the nicknames to mask their affair during Charles' marriage to Princess Diana. Royal biographer Andrew Morton reported that Diana found a bracelet engraved with the letters "G" and "F" shortly before her 1981 wedding, which fueled her suspicion about Charles and Camilla's ongoing relationship.

This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 10:49 PM.