8 Embarrassing Nicknames Palace Staff Gave the Royal Family

No one knows the royal family better than the aides who serve them, and behind closed doors, they reportedly use nicknames that are far less flattering. Some names are inspired by a royal's personality, while others poke fun at their appearance or behavior. A few are so cheeky that it is hard to imagine anyone using them for a member of the royal family.

Prince Harry has reportedly been given some rather brutal nicknames over the years, given his conflict with the royals. Speaking on the Sun's Royal Exclusive podcast, royal editor Kate Mansey revealed he was given the name Duke of Hazard. "That's the nickname they had for Andrew and Harry because hazard and chaos followed both of them." She continued, "Do we expect this chaos every time Harry comes? Well yes, we do. Because I think, what we've seen, the people I'm speaking to at the Palace, it's a pattern of behavior." However, that's not all; Harry also was called 'Hijack Harry' by royal insiders. Talking to Radar Online, a source shared, "Harry's new nickname among some staff is 'Hijack Harry' because there's a growing feeling every major royal event is suddenly accompanied by a Sussex announcement, photograph release or intervention that is seen as a pathetic attempt to shift the spotlight back onto them."

Just like her husband, Meghan Markle also received some unflattering nicknames during her time as a working royal. These included ‘Duchess of Difficult’ and ‘Me-Gain’, according to royal author Tom Quinn's book Kensington Palace: An Intimate Memoir from Queen Mary to Meghan Markle. In a 2020 interview with Fox News, Quinn explained that the nicknames came from palace staff rather than being invented by the British press. He said, “The nicknames, they’re inevitable.”

It is not surprising that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor finds himself on the list. The disgraced royal has been associated with several unflattering nicknames, the least brutal one perhaps being ‘Air Miles Andy,' given his frequent international travel during his time as a trade envoy. His trips, including journeys by helicopter for golf, attracted criticism and earned him the nickname. ITV News used the moniker in a 2019 report about his life as a controversial royal figure. During his childhood, he was also called Baby Grumpling by his nanny Mabel Anderson. “From the beginning, palace staff found him a handful,” Cawthorne wrote. “His nanny, Mabel Anderson, called him Baby Grumpling — because of his temper tantrums and obstinacy," shared investigative journalist Nigel Cawthorne, writing for the Daily Mail.

It seems like even Prince William was not spared from being the target of embarrassing nicknames. His wife, Princess Kate, is said to call him ‘Baldy’, poking fun at his thinning hair. The nickname was discussed in Tom Quinn's book Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family. Later, the name was even picked by palace insiders. Aides reportedly also called them Mr Bobcat and Mrs Bobcat. Speaking to Fox News Digital in October 2026, King Charles's former gardener Jack Stooks shared, “We couldn't have them saved under their real names, so they had nicknames instead.” He added, “William was 'Bobcat', Harry was 'Baz', and when Kate joined the family, she became 'Mrs. Bobcat.’”