Prince Philip’s long-reported pet name for his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, has resurfaced on social media as royal watchers mark the third anniversary of the late monarch’s death.
The one-word nickname, "Cabbage," is understood to stem from the French term of endearment "mon petit chou," literally "my little cabbage" but commonly used to mean "my darling." British historian and royal biographer Robert Lacey confirmed the usage in a 2006 interview with The Sunday Times, saying, "Yes, I've heard that is how he will sometimes refer to her." Reddit users in a "Today I Learned" thread shared the anecdote on Monday, prompting hundreds of responses from admirers recalling the couple’s long partnership.
Elizabeth and Philip were married for 73 years until the Duke of Edinburgh’s death on April 9, 2021, at age 99. The couple were both fluent in French, and observers note that "mon petit chou" has been a familiar term of affection in French-speaking cultures for generations. Accounts circulating online also say Philip sometimes called the queen "sausage," though the vegetable-themed pet name appears to have captured public imagination.
The nickname’s reappearance in public conversation coincides with remembrance events marking three years since Queen Elizabeth’s death on Sept. 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Her passing prompted 10 days of national mourning and a state funeral on Sept. 19, 2022. During that period, her coffin lay at rest in Edinburgh Cathedral and later at Westminster Hall, where an estimated 250,000 people queued to file past and pay their respects during the lying-in-state.
Tributes and personal recollections poured in on social platforms on Monday, with thousands of commenters expressing admiration and grief. "She's so missed and loved," one wrote. "I miss Her Majesty The Queen so very much," another said. "She made me proud to be a part of the Commonwealth," commented a third.
Members of the royal family and relatives observed the anniversary with private and public acts of remembrance. The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, arrived at Heathrow Airport Monday and was escorted to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where he laid a wreath and flowers at his grandmother’s grave. The Duke of Sussex’s four-day visit to Britain is his longest solo trip since the period following the queen’s death in 2022; his wife, Meghan, and their children remained in California.
On the same day, the Prince and Princess of Wales carried out an engagement in Sunningdale, Berkshire. Kensington Palace said the visit was part of ongoing public duties; news outlets noted that the location is a short drive from Windsor. The Princess of Wales joined the Prince at the engagement, a last-minute decision by Kensington Palace described in reports as an expression of support during the anniversary.
Harry’s visit came after a recent legal setback in April, when a court dismissed his challenge to the level of police protection he receives in the United Kingdom. In that ruling, Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos concluded that the duke’s "sense of grievance" did not amount to a legal argument. On Monday, reporters observed that Harry was picked up at Heathrow by a serving Metropolitan Police officer from the Royalty and Specialist Protection squad.
References to Philip’s private manner with the queen have surfaced periodically in biographies, drama and public recollection. A moment in the Netflix series The Crown — in which Olivia Colman portrayed Queen Elizabeth and Tobias Menzies played the duke in season three — includes dialogue that nods to such familiar intimacy: the queen character refers to herself as "cabbage" in a private exchange. Such portrayals, along with anecdotes from historians and family friends, have helped shape public impressions of the couple’s relationship.
Royal commentators note that small, domestic details about the queen’s life often receive renewed attention on anniversaries and milestone dates. The memory of the monarch’s personal rituals, household language and long marriage with Philip continues to be invoked by admirers and historians alike as part of the broader public remembrance of her reign and life.
Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral and the national mourning period in 2022 remain reference points for how Britain and the Commonwealth marked her passing. This week’s remembrances reflected both private mourning within the royal family and public expressions of respect from citizens and visitors, continuing discussion of the late monarch’s personal and public legacy.