It is a well-known fact that members of the public should never call the Queen by her first name 'Elizabeth', and instead refer to her as 'Your Majesty' as a first-time greeting and then 'Ma'am' thereafter, but did you know that even members of the royal family avoid using the monarch's first name? The Queen was known affectionately as 'Lilibet' by her parents and grandparents while she was growing up as she was unable to say 'Elizabeth' at a young age, with her father, King George VI, even once saying: "Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy."
The Queen's nickname is 'Lilibet'
As such, the sweet nickname has been with her all of her life, and even Prince Philip to thought to refer to her by her childhood name. Indeed, Her Majesty used to sign off her letters with her nickname. In one letter sent to her grandmother, Queen Mary, she wrote: "Darling Granny. Thank you very much for the lovely doll's house. I do love it, and I have unpacked the dining room and the hall. Love from Lilibet xxx." Royal biographer Robert Lacey has also previously revealed that the Duke of Edinburgh affectionately calls his wife "cabbage", telling The Sunday Times: "Yes, I've heard that is how he will sometimes refer to her."
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Meanwhile, the royal is called 'Mummy' by her eldest son, Prince Charles, who referred to her as such during his speech for her 92nd birthday, causing her to hilariously react by rolling her eyes and laughing along with the audience. She has more nicknames still when it comes to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as Princes William and Harry were spotted cheering on 'Granny' as her stunt double parachuted into the stadium at the 2012 Olympics, and the Duchess of Cambridge has also revealed that her son, Prince George, calls his great-grandmother 'Gan Gan'.
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