Princess Kate’s very cheeky two-word nickname for Prince William isn’t very royal
While the world of the Royal Family may seem miles apart from that of everyday Britons, there is something that brings the whole country together – silly little nicknames.
Prince Phillip is reported to have called the late Queen Elizabeth II ‘Cabbage’ as well as to have used the name ‘Lilibet’, believed to have been also widely adopted by the late monarch’s parents. The latter nickname inspired Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to name their daughter Lillibet, albeit upon announcing her birth they suggested she would be normally called Lili.
Meanwhile, King Charles and Queen Camilla reportedly used to call one another ‘Fred’ and ‘Gladys’, and Meghan is known to refer to Prince Harry as ‘H’.
Princess Kate, however, may be using the cheekiest nicknames of all, as she reportedly refers to her husband Prince William as ‘Big Willy.
The pair met while studying at St Andrews University where Prince William picked up the name, which didn’t go unnoticed by Kate.
The Prince and Princess of Wales had a whirlwind romance during their degree, with Kate not missing out on any student rites of passage during her time there.
In her book Kate: The Future Queen, author Katie Nicholl writes that Kate had a “hectic week of partying, meeting her ‘university parents’ – older pupils who were in charge of looking after freshers – finding her way around town and settling into her residence hall”.
She adds: “Kate soon found her way around and was often seen relaxing in the common room, curled up in an armchair, a cup of tea in hand, either reading newspaper articles her father rather touchingly mailed to her or getting to know her fellow hall mates.”
According to Nicholl, the future Queen had been dubbed ‘Beautiful Kate’ by the end of Freshers’ Week. She writes: “She was initially more reserved than many of the other young women, but her natural beauty was apparent.
Kate stayed fit during her college years, from regular early morning runs or swims, and dressed in her comfortable Hennes jeans, fitted sweater and signature cowboy boots. “She radiated an outer freshness and an inner confidence,” the author penned.
After the pair got engaged, Kate was able to recall the moment they met straight away, but William struggled to remember and said he’d have to “wrack his brains”. Kate said: “I actually went bright red when I met you and scuttled off feeling very shy about meeting you.”
She added: “William wasn’t there for quite a bit of the time initially, he wasn’t there from Fresher’s Week, so it did take a bit of time for us to get to know each other. But we did become very close friends from quite early on.
