A gardener who trimmed hedges at Highgrove for decades just handed the internet something no palace press release ever would: the nicknames senior royals apparently used on staff phones. According to a former royal aide, William and Kate’s secret phone names were never their real names at all, and the story has spread across royal-watch media within days of surfacing.
The claim comes from Jack Stooks, who spent years working at Highgrove, King Charles’s private estate, and recently spoke publicly about daily life behind palace gates [2][6][7]. His account, first reported by GB News, describes a simple but firm rule: staff could not save senior royals under their given names in their contacts [2][8].
Key Takeaways
- Jack Stooks, a former royal gardener at Highgrove, is the source behind the newly reported nicknames [2][6][7].
- Prince William was reportedly saved in staff phones as “Bobcat,” while Catherine became “Mrs Bobcat” after marriage [2][4][6][8][9].
- Prince Harry was allegedly stored under the alias “Baz,” a common British nickname [4][5][6][9].
- The names were internal contact labels for security, not usernames the royals chose themselves [4][5][6].
- No palace has confirmed or denied the claims, so the story remains anecdotal rather than official [1][2][6][8][9].
Who Is the Ex-Royal Aide Behind This Reveal?
Stooks was not a spokesperson or senior courtier. He worked hands-on at Highgrove for a long stretch, which gave him informal but sustained exposure to how the household operated day to day [2][6][7]. That background is part of why his account has traveled so widely: he is not guessing from a distance, but he also carries no official authority to confirm palace protocol.
His comments were shared through an interview tied to the betting site OLBG and picked up by GB News before spreading to outlets in the UK, Germany, and beyond [2][4][5][6][8][9]. Nearly every subsequent article traces back to that single interview, meaning the story is consistent but not independently verified by multiple witnesses [2][6][7][8].
Ex-Royal Aide Reveals William and Kate’s Secret Phone Names Used by Staff
According to Stooks, the specific aliases were straightforward once you know the pattern. William was logged as “Bobcat.” After Kate Middleton became Catherine, Princess of Wales, staff reportedly updated her entry to “Mrs Bobcat” [2][4][6][8][9]. Harry, meanwhile, was allegedly saved simply as “Baz,” a nickname commonly short for “Barry” in British slang [4][5][6][9].
German outlets covering the same reporting, including RTL and Bunte, were careful to note that these were internal staff codenames rather than nicknames the royals used for themselves on WhatsApp [4][5][6]. In other words, William didn’t set his own display name to “Bobcat.” Staff assigned it to his entry in their own phones.
The exact origin of “Bobcat” is unclear, and commentators have speculated it may be an in-joke rather than anything symbolic [4][5][6][9]. “Baz” is viewed as more ordinary and less mysterious, chosen for its everyday, unremarkable sound [4][5][6][9].
Why Royal Staff Use Code Names Instead of Real Names
Stooks explained that William and Harry were known to be frequent WhatsApp users who shared their personal numbers with select staff for logistical coordination [1][2][8][13]. Saving a senior royal under their real name on a phone that could be lost, stolen, or hacked creates an obvious risk. A generic nickname limits what a stranger could learn if that device fell into the wrong hands.
This fits a documented pattern rather than a one-off decision. Earlier reporting from 2024 described protection officers allegedly using different pseudonyms for security purposes: names like “David Stevens” and “Davina Scott” for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and “Danny Collins” and “Daphne Clark” reportedly linked to William and Catherine [15]. Those were formal security aliases, distinct from the informal staff contact names Stooks describes, but both examples point to a monarchy that treats identity concealment as routine practice rather than scandal [13][15].
How Much Weight Should This Claim Carry?
No royal household has issued a statement confirming or denying the nicknames [1][2][6][8][9]. That absence of official comment doesn’t disprove the story, but it does mean readers should treat it as a credible personal anecdote from someone with genuine access, not as confirmed royal protocol [2][6][7][8]. Royal-watch commentators generally view the practice as plausible and unremarkable, similar to how many public figures and executives avoid real names in staff contact lists [13][15].
Conclusion
The reporting that an ex-royal aide reveals William and Kate’s secret phone names offers a rare, human-scale glimpse into palace life without exposing anything sensitive or damaging. “Bobcat,” “Mrs Bobcat,” and “Baz” appear to be practical security tools born from a household that relies heavily on WhatsApp for everyday coordination [1][2][8][13]. Readers curious about royal life should treat the story as an entertaining, plausible insight rather than verified fact, and watch for any future comment from official royal channels before drawing firmer conclusions.
References
[1] Prince William Kate Middleton Prince 054053334 – https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/prince-william-kate-middleton-prince-054053334.html
[2] Prince William Kate Middleton Secret Name – https://www.gbnews.com/royal/prince-william-kate-middleton-secret-name
[4] Prinz William Und Prinzessin Kate Das Sind Ihre Geheimen Codenamen Zr 94510688 – https://www.wa.de/stars-tv/prinz-william-und-prinzessin-kate-das-sind-ihre-geheimen-codenamen-zr-94510688.html
[5] Geheime Whatsapp Namen Von Prinz William Und Prinzessin Kate Offengelegt Id31317386 – https://www.rtl.de/unterhaltung/royals/geheime-whatsapp-namen-von-prinz-william-und-prinzessin-kate-offengelegt-id31317386.html
[6] Ex Mitarbeiter Enthuellt Whatsapp Spitznamen Fuer Prinz William Und Prinzessin Kate Fbd45cd7 08d9 4f09 A9f0 C98244aa88d4 – https://www.bunte.de/royals/britisches-koenigshaus/ex-mitarbeiter-enthuellt-whatsapp-spitznamen-fuer-prinz-william-und-prinzessin-kate_fbd45cd7-08d9-4f09-a9f0-c98244aa88d4.html
[7] Ex Royal Aide Reveals What He Saved Prince William And Catherine As In His Phone – https://ground.news/article/ex-royal-aide-reveals-what-he-saved-prince-william-and-catherine-as-in-his-phone
[8] Prince Harry Prince William Kate Middleton Whatsapp Obsession Revealed – https://www.realitytea.com/2026/09/25/prince-harry-prince-william-kate-middleton-whatsapp-obsession-revealed/
[9] Prince William Prince Harry Nicknames Royal Staff Phones – https://www.realitytea.com/2026/09/25/prince-william-prince-harry-nicknames-royal-staff-phones/