Prince William Reveals His Adorable Nickname For Daughter Charlotte In Rare Clip

May 07, 2021 by apost team

Given all the formalities involved with being a member of the royal family, you might think the young princes and princesses of England live relatively regimented, strict and formal lives. After all, British culture isn’t exactly known for being very warm and friendly. With that said, the royal family’s use of pet names and nicknames goes to show that the relationships between royals and their spouses, children and other loved ones can be quite affectionate and close.

That’s precisely what’s on display in this heartwarming May 2019 Instagram video put out by Prince William and wife Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In the video, which has since resurfaced as a sweet example of William’s clear affection for his children, we see the Cambridge kids playing in a garden Middleton created for the Royal Chelsea Flower Show. The clip gives us a rare glimpse into William and Middleton’s family life, as the two accompany their children throughout the lavish greenery, which the duchess titled “Back to Nature Garden.”

A 5-year-old Prince George looks delighted by the arrangement as he dangles from a knotted rope swing.

“What would you give (the Back to Nature Garden) out of 10, George? How many marks would you give it, with 10 being the highest?” William asks his son, who we see swinging back and forth, in the below video.

“Twenty!” an enthusiastic George replies.

But perhaps the most adorable part of the video is when William calls a 4-year-old Princess Charlotte “mignonette,” dusting off his grade-school French.

In French, the word “mignon” means cute and is an affectionate pet name for children; but William goes even further to make Charlotte’s nickname even more adorable. Adding the -ette suffix makes the word even more diminutive. While there’s no direct English equivalent, it’s almost like calling your kid a “little angel” or “little pumpkin.” 

According to the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) website, Middleton co-designed the annual Chelsea Flower Show — a five-day garden show held at the end of May in London — putting families and children at the heart of the show’s theme.

“We couldn’t be happier with the wonderful design by The Duchess of Cambridge and Andree and Adam for our garden at Chelsea,” said Sue Biggs, RHS’s Director General.

“The RHS’s Garden was a beautiful natural space for families to get together, play, dig, grow plants, connect with nature and spend time in the great outdoors — something core to us as a charity to promote, inspire and encourage people to do.

“There were many sensory elements to help children to learn. Active play in the fresh air is also important for a child’s development and getting back to nature has been shown to be good for developing creativity, increasing physical activity and reducing stress.”

Middleton’s garden included a tree house designed to look like a bird’s nest, a waterfall, stream, a den and, of course, a rope swing. As a backdrop, the magical garden somehow made William’s use of “mignonette” even cuter, reminding us that, despite all the negative coverage the royal family gets, the duke and duchess seem like sweet parents.

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And they aren’t the only royal family members to use cute nicknames.

Town & Country reports that Middleton also has a special name for Charlotte, according to Laura-Ann, a prominent Instagram influencer and royal fan who met Kate while she was visiting Northern Ireland in 2019.

In an Instagram story from the time, Laura-Ann reflects on the experience of meeting Middleton and says, “So then she asked how old (my son) is, and I said he is four and she said, 'Oh, he's the same age as Lottie.' She calls (Charlotte) Lottie!"

While “Lottie” is perhaps a bit less surprising than the French nickname “mignonette,” it’s still another adorable tidbit that royal fans are sure to find fascinating — if not extremely cute. It turns out that Charlotte has her own terms of endearment for family members, too.

According to Cosmopolitan, Charlotte calls William “papa” — or at least she did in a sweet, handwritten mother’s day note, which the royal family shared on Instagram in March.

"Dear Granny Diana, I am thinking of you on Mother's Day. I love you very much, Papa is missing you. Lots of love, Charlotte,” she wrote below a rainbow-colored heart.

From “mignonette” to “Arch,” the royal family clearly isn’t opposed to using cutesy nicknames despite their rather formal traditions. And for that simple reason, we can be glad. Just thinking of William calling Charlotte “mignonette” or “lottie” while she runs around at Kensington Palace ought to melt the coldest of hearts. Of course, if he wears those nicknames out, there’s always an easy alternative: princess.

What do you think about William’s nickname for Charlotte? What do you call your parents, kids and close relatives? Let us know — and be sure to pass this sweet article on to friends and family members.