The Prince of Wales’ moving speech at the coronation concert revealed the cute – if not antiquated – nicknames he and his father the King are called by their respective children.
When Prince William took the stage to pay tribute to the King after a rousing performance by Charles’ close friend Lionel Richie, Princess Charlotte spotted her father on stage – and delivered the affectionate speech.
According to lipreader Jacqui Press, the eight-year-old king apparently said: “Look! There’s dad,” noting the Prince of Wales walking across the platform to deliver his speech.
Charlotte gestured at Prince William while reaching out to her brother Prince George to make sure he was watching their father’s big moment.
And moments later, Prince William shared his own pet name for his father – again one that could be considered old-fashioned if used by members of a different social class.
Princess Charlotte apparently said: “Look! There are [Papa]’ noting the Prince of Wales walked across the platform to deliver his speech at the music extravaganza tonight, according to lipreader Jacqui Press
Prince William paid a moving tribute to his father, telling him: “Dad, we’re all so proud of you.”
Despite the formality of the moment, the 40-year-old royal spoke of his father in a more relaxed manner, emphasizing the close relationship between father and son.
He said to him, ‘Dad, we’re all so proud of you.’
The term “Pa” is thought to have always been used by Prince William and Prince Harry to address their father – even as children.
William also told King Charles that he had no doubt that the late Queen Elizabeth, his “very proud mother,” would look down from heaven “tenderly.”
The moment offered a glimpse of how names like “Pa” and “Papa” are still used by upper class and royalty
‘Pa, we’re all so proud’: Prince William’s touching full-length tribute to his dad
The Prince of Wales paid tribute to the King on stage at the coronation concert.
Here is the full text of William’s speech: “Good evening, Your Majesties. Good evening Windsor!
“A huge thank you to everyone who made this evening a special experience.
“I want to say a few words about my dad and why I think this weekend is so important.
“But don’t worry, unlike Lionel, I’m not going to stay up all night.
“As my grandmother said when she was crowned, coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future.
“And I know she’s up there, keeping a loving eye on us. And she would be a very proud mother.
“As grand as celebrations are, at the heart of the pageant is a simple message: service.
‘My father’s first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a promise of service.
“It was a promise to continue to serve.
“Because for over 50 years he has dedicated himself to the service of others, both present and future generations, and those whose memory must not be neglected, in every corner of the UK, throughout the Commonwealth and around the world.
“Take the natural world. He warned us about the risks to the health of our planet long before it became a common problem.
‘Or the Prince’s Trust. It has helped over a million young people, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, to achieve their aspirations.
“And, perhaps most importantly, my father always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds and all communities deserve to be celebrated and supported.
“Pa, we are all so proud of you.
“I also want to express my pride and gratitude for the millions of people who serve in the armed forces, in classrooms, health centers and local communities.
“I wish I could mention you all. Your service inspires us. And tonight we celebrate you too.
“I pledge myself to serve you all. King, Country and Commonwealth.
‘God save the king!’
While mere mortals in British society use “Mum and Dad” to refer to their parents, upper class and blue-blood royalty often refer to their parents as “Mummy and Daddy” – with “Papa” and “Pa” added to them. , and ‘ma’ma’ are also commonly used.
In fact, the King used to refer to his mother, the late Queen, as “Mama” or “Ma’ma” frequently.
In his first address to the nation after her death on September 8, 2022, the King said of his late mother, “To my beloved Ma’ma, thank you, thank you,” while hailing Elizabeth II as “an inspiration and a role model” for me and my whole family’.
When Prince Philip died in April 2021 at the age of 99, the king also used the term ‘dad’ to mourn the loss of his father and repeated it in his speech after the death of the queen, saying: ‘And to my beloved mum ‘when you begin your last amazing journey to my dear late dad, i just want to say thank you.’
Away from the more traditional maternal and paternal nicknames, the royals have revealed a variety of nicknames used for one another over the decades.
Prince William revealed to NBC in 2007 that he was referred to as a “wombat” during a trip to Australia as a youngster.
He told the broadcaster’s Matt Lauer: “When we went to Australia with our parents, and the wombat, that’s the native animal. Well, I was just called that. Not because I look like a wombat, maybe I do.’
And more recently, one of the biggest revelations from Harry’s all-encompassing memoir, Spare, was how the now feuding brothers addressed each other, with Harry revealing that the siblings called each other “Willy” and “Harold.”
Harry’s nickname for William appeared in the book just before the couple had a “fight” and William went into the kitchen for a glass of water. Harry said, ‘Willy, I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.’