Prince William's Friends Gave Kate Middleton Weird Nickname

Prince William wears a suit and Kate Middleton wears a bright red coat with black buttons and a black polo neck underneath — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Kate Middleton's romance with Prince William began after the pair met at the University of St Andrews in 2001. After a brief split in 2007, the pair reunited and have been together ever since. When William and Kate first started dating, the Prince of Wales's friends reportedly came up with a slightly "strange" nickname for the royal's new girlfriend.

In the book The Making of a Royal Romance: William, Kate, and Harry—A Look Behind the Palace Walls, royal expert Katie Nicholl revealed (via the Daily Mail), "William's friends jokingly refer to the close-knit family as 'the OM Middleton' meaning the 'On Masse Middletons' because they are always together."

The close nature of the Middleton family has regularly been discussed, particularly when it comes to Prince William's relationship with Kate's relatives. Majesty magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward previously told Hello! magazine, "The Middletons are a traditional family, which is why William enjoyed being around them so much."

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Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R) and her mother Carole Middleton attend day 1 of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 20, 2017 in Ascot, England. — Carole Middleton with daughter Princess Kate.

During the same interview, Seward also noted, "When things go wrong, they pull together under Carole's direction." The royal expert continued, "She is the matriarch of this family and they all take her advice because they have great respect for their mom."

Carole Middleton wearing a pale blue floral dress and matching headband with a flower reaching holding Prince William's while standing in grass at Royal Ascot — Carole Middleton with son-in-law Prince William.

The Prince of Wales even referenced Princess Kate's family during the couple's ITV engagement interview in 2010. "Kate's got a very, very close family," William said. "I get on really well with them, and I'm very lucky that they've been so supportive." William called Kate's parents "really loving and caring and really fun," adding that the "really welcoming" pair had embraced him like "a part of the family."

While the nickname Prince William's friends gave to Princess Kate might seem a little strange, it's clear that the Middleton clan really are a close group.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.