Ex-Royal Aide Lifts Lid on the Monarchy’s Obsession with WhatsApp Groups and Funny Aliases
While discussing King Charles's adaptation towards technology, the ex-royal aide made an interesting revelation.
The royal family is known to follow strict protocols when it comes to sharing their personal lives on social media. However, behind the scenes, they are tightly connected through technology for effective communication. An ex-royal aide has disclosed the monarchy's biggest kept secret, and it is honestly relatable. His disclosure gives a candid glimpse of the royal family's texting habits.
Jack Stooks, a former royal gardener who spent decades working for King Charles at the Highgrove estate, has revealed that the Royal Family relies heavily on WhatsApp. "The Royal Family are big WhatsApp users. They have groups with their friends, and there is also a family group with the royal cousins, including Prince William, Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips, and the York sisters. They’re very much like any other family when it comes to keeping in touch through their phones," he told GB News.
Stook further disclosed that the royals freely shared their contact number with staff, allowing them to send messages via the app for assistance when needed. This friendly approach towards the staff is in contrast to what is known about the family in public. He continued by highlighting that William and Harry were known to have the latest phones and would share their contact numbers with staff for logistical communication. They also requested that staff reach out through the messaging app in case of any needs.
The ex-royal aide went on to disclose the playful aliases used to protect their privacy. "We couldn’t have them saved under their real names, so they had nicknames instead. William was ‘Bobcat,’ Harry was ‘Baz,’ and when Catherine joined the family, she became ‘Mrs Bobcat,’" he said. Stooks lauded William and described him as polite and respectful, often checking on staff's workload before requesting assistance.
He further stated that the Prince of Wales responded positively to offers of help, frequently complimenting others by saying, "You’re a legend." The ex-royal gardener added, "He would always check how busy I was before asking me to do errands for him." While discussing King Charles's adaptation towards technology, Stooks made an interesting revelation.
"The King didn’t really use technology at all when I worked there. He used to have a very old-fashioned, basic mobile phone, but he never used it," the former aide stated. He further noted that Charles showed disinterest in using his phone despite encouragement from William and Harry, who tried to keep him updated. "He wasn’t a fan at all," Stooks concluded. It is a known fact that the King supports climate change and environmentalism, making his approach to technology understandable.
