The Prince of Wales has spent nearly his entire life in the public eye, thanks to his prominent status as eventual heir to the British throne.
With such an important position within the royal family, Prince William is one of the most recognisable people in the world.
It has been reported that the future King once used a fake name so that he could fly under the radar during his university years.
William attended the University of St Andrews in Scotland as a History of Art student in 2001. He later switched his main subject to geography.
While he was there, the media entered an agreement with Buckingham Palace to leave the young prince in peace so that he could continue his studies undisturbed. According to one alumnus, students were warned not to leak stories about the royal at the risk of expulsion.
According to The Mirror, William took an extra step to avoid recognition and chose to use a surprisingly normal fake name: Steve.
It was reported that the moniker was used by his classmates and perhaps even by Kate Middleton, who went on to marry William a decade later.
A previous report by the newspaper, however, claimed that Kate had a much cheekier nickname for William and apparently referred to him as “Big Willy”.
William met Kate the same year he began university, after he saw her walk down a runway for a charity fashion show. Kate was also an Art History student at St Andrews university.
Nicknames are common among members of the royal family, although they are mostly reserved as affectionate names for one another.
In his controversial memoir Spare, Prince Harry revealed the childhood nicknames he and William used for one another.
The Duke of Sussex’s nickname for his older brother was Willy, while William would call his younger brother Harold.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla also have several nicknames for one another. Decades ago, Charles reportedly gave Camilla the nickname Gladys, while the latter called the new monarch Fred.
Over the years, it has been reported that other nicknames the couple have for one another are “darling” and “mehbooba”, which means “my beloved” in Urdu.
