King Charles has revealed an adorable one-word nickname for his wife, Queen Camilla, that he let slip during an engagement.
Charles and Camilla were planting a tree alongside Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia when King Charles referred to his wife with the endearing term “darling”.
Instructing Queen Camilla on where to put soil around the tree which he had planted, His Majesty said: “On this side, darling, this side.” revealing the sweet name for his wife.
But during their early dating days, it was widely reported that King Charles jokingly called Camilla “Gladys”, while she referred to him as “Fred”, which could have been inspired by characters on BBC radio’s ‘The Goon Show’.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, to plant a Swedish oak tree in the Home Park of Windsor Castle last month.
The tree was gifted by the King of Sweden in celebration of the Coronation of The King and Queen at Westminster Abbey in May 2023.
The nickname used by the King can show that pet names could be crucial in relationships. Charlotte Butt, Senior Marketing Manager from Coca-Cola Trademark, speaking to Hello! Magazine, said: “Nicknames are more than just labels; they’re a shorthand for shared history, inside jokes and personal connections.”
She added: “They reflect the unique relationships between individuals.”
Research by Coca-Cola says that Charles’ choice of “darling” is considered outdated, along with “sweetie” and “duck”, but the report showed that respondents consider nicknames important, with 42 per cent admitting that they feel happy and loved when they are called by their nickname, while one in ten admit that a nickname makes them feel secure.
It is reported His Majesty has a few nicknames too, including “Grandpa Wales” from Prince William and Princess Kate’s children, and “old bean” by his sister, Princess Anne.
The nickname was revealed in a documentary about the royal’s 2022 Coronation, with the name making King Charles laugh out loud, suggesting that he liked the nickname used by his sister, The Princess Royal.
Following her brother’s accession to the throne, she has been one of Charles’s most trusted aides and an unwavering pillar of support. During His Majesty’s Coronation, Anne even took on the role of Charles’ Gold-Stick-in-Waiting – a formal bodyguard position.
Since his diagnosis of cancer in 2024, The Princess Royal notably stepped up, taking part in an increasing number of engagements to support her brother.