The revelation comes from past comments made by people who worked closely around the royal household. Former royal butler Paul Burrell once described Buckingham Palace as the “Gin Palace,” suggesting that alcohol and late-night drinks were not uncommon behind palace walls.
Within that environment, staff were also known to invent nicknames for members of the royal family. At one point, both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew were reportedly referred to as the “Dukes of Hazzard,” a play on the title of the 1979 American television series. The nickname was meant humorously, referring to the fact that they were both dukes who had caused various “hazards” or problems for the monarchy over the years.
Royal correspondent Kate Mansey later explained that the nickname originated among palace staff and reflected internal frustration. According to her reporting, the two princes were sometimes seen as challenges for King Charles, although Prince Andrew was often viewed as the more serious issue.
A ruder nickname revealed on television
An even more controversial nickname surfaced during an interview on the Australian program 60 Minutes. Former royal protection officer Paul Page spoke with journalist Tara Brown about the internal call signs used for members of the royal family.
Page explained that Prince Andrew’s official security code was “Purple 4-1,” which would be used over radio communication whenever he arrived at royal residences.
However, he added that Andrew also had a separate nickname used privately by some staff members. At first, Page hesitated to reveal it, warning that it might not be suitable for broadcast.
Eventually, he disclosed that the two-word nickname was extremely crude, referring to the prince simply as “The C***.” The explicit term was bleeped during the program.
According to Page, the nickname reflected the way some staff members felt about Andrew during the years he served in public life. He claimed that many people found the prince difficult to deal with and described him as rude, arrogant, and deeply entitled.
Page said Andrew was widely considered one of the least popular members of the royal family among staff during that period.
Ongoing controversy surrounding the Duke of York
Prince Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 after his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became the subject of intense scrutiny.