As Tom Paine wrote, ‘Every nickname is a title’

A recent movie suggests that the Duke of Edinburgh’s nickname for the Queen is ‘Cabbage’. His experience dates back to the day when this delicious vegetable was overboiled into tastelessness. But now that most people cook it very lightly and so preserve its fine flavour and crispiness, the term is one of endearment, as (no doubt) he intends. The nickname is originally French, ‘mon petit chou’, and I know at least one other wife who is called cabbage by her spouse, though as an alternative to ‘Old Bag’. Royal nicknames are not as common as you might think. Edward VII was ‘Tum Tum’ (not to his face). The Prince Regent was ‘Prinny’, which let him off lightly considering how awful he was. His brother Clarence was ‘Billy’, his brother Gloucester ‘Slice’; why I know not. Charles II was ‘Old Rowley’, after a famous stallion, profuse begetter of foals and possessor of a formidable member when mounting.