22 December 2023 , 13:56
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Mike Tindall has admitted that he has an unusual and pretty unflattering nickname for Prince William based on the Prince of Wales's inability to handle his alcohol - 'One Pint Willy'.
Tindall revealed the private jokey nickname during an appearance on Rob Burrow's podcast Seven, where he revealed his opinion of William's drinking abilities is coloured by his own experiences with the heavy drinking culture associated with rugby.
Tindall - who was part of the England Rugby squad when they won the 2003 World Cup - said William "is known to me as One Pint Willy because he is not the best of drinkers," after Burrows had asked him if he had any affectionate nicknames for the Royal Family.
Mike, who is married to William's cousin Zara, added that "coming from a sport where it is built on the social aspect and a couple of beers being sunk quite often. That is one I will give away for the Prince of Wales." Zara was heard saying in response "You're in so much trouble" after her husband gave away the private nickname, and Mike joked, "Oh my god. It's out there now. Sorry sir."
This is by no means the only nickname that the royals have slipped out that they use for one another over the years, which likely indicates the closeness of their bonds behind closed doors. From the late Queen to Prince George, affectionate nicknames run through all generations of the Windsor family.
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An insider speaking to The Sun explained why they think nicknames are so important in the Royal Family, and it has to do with the stark contrast between their public and private lives, as well as the fact they can be "childlike".
"The royals are not very good at communicating with one another so this is one way around it. Nicknames are a way of taking the family tension out of things," the insider claimed. "They can also be a rather childlike family. They love to play games and they give each other silly presents. I think it's because they have to be so earnest in their public lives.
Prince William
Mike Tindal claims that Prince William isn't very good at drinking (Getty Images)Prince William's main nickname in the family seems to be Willy, which Prince Harry confirmed in his bombshell memoir Spare. However, this nickname is often adapted by whoever is using it, as Mike's chosen moniker for his wife's cousin clearly shows.
Kate is reported to have previously referred to William as 'Big Willy' in the early days of their relationship back after they met at the University of St. Andrew's, where they both studied. However, in more recent years of their marriage, she is said to call her husband 'Prince Baldy' as he has lost his hair.
Princess Diana's nickname for her eldest son was 'Wombat', which William admitted in an interview still plagues him now as an adult: "I can't get rid of it now. It began when I was two."
Queen Elizabeth
Philip called the Queen 'Cabbage' (AFP via Getty Images)One of Queen Elizabeth's nicknames from childhood is said to have been used well into her later life by her husband, Prince Philip in particular: Lilibet.
The well-known nickname is said to have come from the fact that when she was very small the late Queen found her name hard to pronounce correctly - and like many family nicknames it stuck firmly, so much so that Harry and Meghan even used the nickname for their daughter as her first name in honour of the Queen.
A more unusual nickname for the Queen was also said to be 'Gary' which also was born from a mispronunciation, this time by William. When he was a child he is reported to have struggled to say Granny, instead only managing Gary, which then stuck around as a hilarious nickname for the monarch.
William's son George reportedly referred to the late Queen 'Gan-Gan' for similar reasons starting when he was very young. Prince Philip also is said to have affectionately referred to his wife as 'Cabbage' and 'Sausage'.
Kate Middleton
Kate was known as 'Squeak' (Getty Images)Kate's childhood nickname was revealed during a visit back to one of the Berkshire schools she attended when she was a child: Squeak. "I was nicknamed Squeak just like my guinea pig," she admitted. "There was one called Pip and one called Squeak because my sister was called Pippa and I was Squeak".
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William's nicknames for his wife are 'Poppet' - something Kate also calls her youngest child Prince Louis - and 'DoD' which is short for 'Duchess of Dolittle'. This is perhaps a nod to the criticism that Kate has sometimes been on the sharp end of regarding the number of official engagements she undertakes compared to other royals.
Royal author Omid Scobie recently claimed that one nickname - 'Katie Keen' - was born because "the Kensington Palace communications team always stress in press releases and other communiqués that Kate is 'keen to learn.'" This quickly became a "popular refrain" on social media, the author says.
King Charles and Queen Camilla
King Charles and Queen Camilla have nicknames for eachother (Samir Hussein - Pool/WireImage)During the very early years of their romantic relationship, Charles and Camilla are said to have begun referring to each other as 'Fred' and 'Gladys', which is thought to be a nod to an old BBC radio show.
Another nickname Charles is said by Jonathan Dimbleby to have for his wife is 'Girl Friday' - from the 1940 film His Girl Friday.
In Omid Scobie's recent royal book, he claimed that Diana nicknamed Camilla 'the Rottweiler', something that the author claimed "she probably intended" to be "picked up and ran with" by the press.
Meghan Markle
Meghan was nicknamed 'degree wife' by a senior royalKing Charles is said to have a special nickname for his daughter-in-law Meghan: 'Tungsten'. He bestowed this nickname on her because of the toughness she has displayed.
Her childhood nickname given to her by her mother Doria denotes another, softer side of her personality - 'Flower'.
Scobie also claims in Endgame that Meghan was referred to as a 'degree wife' by a "senior royal". According to the author, this was because the royal in question "felt her marriage would only last the length of a British university degree—three years"
Prince Harry
Prince Harry was known as 'Spike'Prince Harry has admitted to having a wealth of nicknames over the years. In his memoir Spare he explained that he has been called 'Spike' because of a hairstyle he rocker in his teens.
He also said his brother's nickname for him was 'Harold' and he had also been referred to as 'Baz', 'Haz', and 'Scrawny' - the latter was a nickname bestowed upon him by palace staff, he claimed.
Zara and Mike Tindall
Zara and Mike have sweet pet names for eachother (Getty Images)During the podcast appearance when Mike revealed his nickname for William, the couple also shared that they have sweet pet names for each other - 'Munchkins', with Mike admitting "I don't know why that started but it has stuck."
Prince Philip
Those closest to Prince Philip reportedly referred to him by the anacronym 'P.P' as a shortened version of his title, but this nickname was rarely used by anyone outside of his closest circle, a royal historian has previously claimed.
Beatrice and Eugenie
The sisters both have nicknames (AFP via Getty Images)The two daughters of Prince Andrew have sweet nicknames for each other. Eugenie has referred to her elder sister as 'Beabea' when posting tributes to her sibling on her birthday, and Beatrice in turn has called her younger sister 'Euge' when speaking to Vogue about her back in 2018.
In Harry's memoir, he also revealed that he used the moniker 'Euge' for his cousin, so it's safe to assume this is a nickname that is used by a lot of the family.
Prince George
Even young Prince George has a nickname (UK Press via Getty Images)The eldest child of Kate and William, Prince George, is said to be referred to as 'PG Tips' or simply 'Tips' within the family.
This is likely an association with his initials being the same as the famous tea-brand, but like with many of the family nicknames on this list, however a nickname begins, once it has entered the family lexicon, it is likely to be something that sticks around.
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