Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Received "Secret Nicknames" from Staff Members

Meanwhile, Kate Middleton and Prince William became "Daphne Clark" and "Danny Collins."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf on September 16, 2023.
(Image credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have embarked on their royal tour of Colombia today. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit Bogotá, Cartagena, and Cali, following an invitation from Colombia's vice president, Francia Márquez. Duchess Meghan has already delighted fans after she touched down wearing the tailored vest trend. And according to a new report, Meghan and Harry have often been referred to by "secret nicknames" by their staff, besides their royal titles.

Per the Express, British Heritage Travel revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were given special nicknames, which were "frequently used by royal security personnel." To make things relatively straightforward, both Meghan and Harry received nicknames using the initials "DS," in reference to their titles, the Duke or Duchess of Sussex. According to the publication, Meghan was called "Davina Scott," and Harry was given the very pedestrian name of "David Stevens."

The Sussexes aren't the only royals to be given unexpected nicknames by their staff members, either.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Meet "Davina Scott" and "David Stevens."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Before Kate Middleton and Prince William gained the Prince and Princess of Wales moniker, they apparently had very different nicknames. According to the Express, Kate and William "were known to their security team as 'Daphne Clark' and 'Danny Collins.'" These names were chosen to coincide with their Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the initials "DC."

It's always fun to discover nicknames used by the royal family. One of the most unusual remains King Charles' science-related moniker for his daughter-in-law Meghan. According to Woman and Home, royal correspondent Russell Myers noted, "He’s been calling her tungsten, the metal, because she is tough and unbending." He continued, "It’s a bit of a weird one but I think he really respects her. He thinks she has managed to deal with it well. He has had his fair share of bad press in the past, a lot of crisis in his life, so I think he’s trying to get her to navigate the choppy waters of joining the Royal Family." Obviously, "tungsten" is a completely unexpected way to reference the former Suits star, but we like it a lot.

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.