The rest of the world knows Queen Elizabeth by her various royal titles, but her family members get to call her by more familiar names. So, just what do the queen’s loved ones call her when they’re in private?
Who Is Allowed To Call The Queen ‘Lilibet?’
When the royal family is in public, they all refer to the queen as “Your Majesty” or “ma’am.” However, when they’re at home, the rules are relaxed. One of Queen Elizabeth’s most well-known nicknames is “Lilibet.”
The nickname came from the queen herself. When she was a small child, Queen Elizabeth was unable to pronounce her own name, calling herself “Lilibet.” The name stuck and has been her nickname for years. Her grandson, Prince Harry, even named his daughter “Lilibet” in honor of his grandmother.
Related: You’ll Never Guess What Queen Elizabeth’s Favorite Game Is
Only very close family members and friends, typically ones who grew up alongside her, are allowed to refer to her with this nickname. Her late husband, Prince Philip, used a shorter version of this name, calling her “Bet.” Philip also used to call his wife “Cabbage,” which many suspect comes from the popular French nickname, “petit chou.” This phrase literally means “little cabbage,” but the French use it as another word for “darling.”
What Queen Elizabeth’s Children And Grandchildren Call Her
Like all mothers and grandmothers, Queen Elizabeth gets called a lot of different names by all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her kids, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, all call her “Mama.” The children allegedly use the French pronunciation, putting the emphasis on the second “ma.” Charles has also referred to her as “Mummy.”
Her grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry, call her “Granny.” However, William apparently could not properly pronounce “Granny” when he was young, so he called her “Gary.”
William’s kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, call the queen “Gran-Gran.” Like his father, George had a bit of trouble pronouncing the nickname at first, and his mom Kate Middleton revealed that he used to call her “Gan-Gan.” It’s assumed that that’s how Harry and Markle’s children, Archie and Lilibet, refer to her by that name as well.
Being a part of the royal family means lots of rules and protocols concerned with how you interact with your family and the rest of the world. It might seem strange to think about calling the queen of England “Mama” or “Granny,” but to the royal family, Queen Elizabeth’s most important title is that of mother and grandmother.