This Is What Prince William Calls the Queen

published 10 December 2020

Prince William revealed what he calls the Queen, his grandmother.
William was overheard saying, "Bye, Gran," as the monarch left a festive gathering at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
How positively normal of him!

I've always imagined everyone to address the Queen of England as "Your Majesty," from her husband to her children to her corgis. But it turns out that's not the case! When Prince William addresses his grandmother, he calls her by a considerably less stuffy title: "Gran."

As People reports, William and Kate Middleton ended their Royal Train tour with a visit to Windsor Castle on Tuesday, where they met local key workers and volunteers and listened to carols alongside the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Princess Anne. As the Queen left the festive (and socially distanced) gathering and headed back into Windsor Castle, William was overheard saying, "Bye, Gran." How positively normal of him!

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The Windsor Castle gathering might be one of the last times the Queen sees her family over the holiday period: Last week, a palace source confirmed that the monarch and Prince Philip would continue to isolate at Windsor for Christmas, instead of heading to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk as usual. "Having considered all the appropriate advice, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh have decided that this year they will spend Christmas quietly in Windsor," the spokesperson said. Charles and Camilla are expected to visit at some point over the holidays, but Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will remain in the U.S., while Kate and William have yet to announce their plans.

"[The Queen and Philip] are fortunate to spend Christmas with their family every year, but they understand that their family will have competing demands over the Christmas period and are content to have a quiet festive season this year," a second insider told People. "Like everyone, their hope is that normality will return in 2021."