Prince William and Kate Middleton are careful not to show public displays of affection during royal engagements – but behind palace doors, they are just like us.
The claim was made by royal author Tom Quinn in a new book titled “Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family.” It features exclusive testimony from palace staff with historical sources, as well as royal insiders. It aims to examine the traditional upbringing of the British royal family and how it has impacted them over the years.
“Someone at the palace told me about the nicknames they have for each other,” Quinn told Fox News Digital. “But it’s not all sweetness. They have terrible rows where they throw things at each other. Kate might seem to be a very calm person, and William also. But it’s not always true. Because the big stress for William and Kate is that they’re constantly surrounded by [palace aides]. It’s like a Jane Austen novel.”
One former member of the palace staff who knew the Princess of Wales claimed to Quinn that Middleton, 41, refers to William, 40, as “babe,” while he calls her “Duchess of Doolittle.”
According to reports, William also calls his wife “Babykins” and “DoD,” the shorter version of “Duchess of Doolittle.” One report alleged that “Duchess of Doolittle” is a “gentle dig” after Middleton was previously criticized by Queen Elizabeth II for not having a full-time career before the couple married in 2011. Allegedly, William fusses over Middleton’s “endless mane of hair” which prompts her to jokingly call him “baldy,” according to one report.
One source claimed in the book that when William “is cross” with his wife, he’ll call her “darling” with “signs of annoyance” that can be detected in his tone. William previously admitted in a 2007 interview with NBC that his mother, Princess Diana, called him “Wombat,” a name that has stuck with him into adulthood.
However, as quickly as they might argue, the couple will also “cozy up.” “Kate is very much the calm one,” Quinn explained. “William is the one who’s a bit hotheaded. We see an example of that in Harry’s book… But Kate is very level-headed. She’s the one who will pour oil on troubled waters and go, ‘Let’s not stir things up.’” In the book, the mother of three is described as having a “Buddhist calm.”