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Prince Philip’s Not a Regular Prince; He’s a Cool Prince & His Palace Nickname Proves It

We know Prince Philip is the palace’s resident BBQ enthusiast, that he loves a good reno project and, thanks to historian Adrian Tinniswood, we know he has a surprisingly chill nickname behind closed doors.

In Tinniswood’s book Behind the Throne: A Domestic History of the British Royal Household, he reveals that the Duke of Edinburgh’s friends and staff at Bucking Palace call him “P.P.” for short—as in, “P.P., do you fancy a game of squash on the palace’s private court?” It’s punchy, it’s refreshing, it’s unexpected, it’s so Prince Philip. We’d expect nothing less considering he’s the palace staff’s fave royal, according to Harper’s Bazaar.

The abbreviated name also reminds us of a similar moniker used for a much younger royal, Prince George. Given to him by his classmates at his school Thomas’s Battersea, the 6-year-old is commonly referred to as “P.G.” A parent spilled the news in an interview with Vanity Fair, stating “George is really happy at school, [and] his nickname is P.G.”

Now the question remains: Does Queen Elizabeth call Prince Philip that?

Well, it’s totally possible, considering Philip (or shall we say “P.P.”) has bestowed quite the unique nickname upon his wife. As it turns out, he calls Her Majesty “Cabbage.” We first learned this fun fact during the 2006 film The Queen, before it was later confirmed by those close to the fam.

Moving forward, is it acceptable to refer to them as solely “Cabbage” and “P.P.”? Asking for a friend.

Every Nickname for the Royal Family, From Queen Elizabeth to Baby Archie



Lex Goodman

Cat mom, yogi, brunch enthusiast

Lex is an LA native who's deeply obsessed with picnics, Slim Aarons, rosé, Hollywood history and Joan Didion. She joined PureWow in early 2017.
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