Britain's Prince William affectionately called Catherine Middleton 'babykins' before they were married.
In personal messages sent to the Duchess of Cambridge, when they were dating in 2006, also reveal he told his future wife he was nearly shot while on an Army training exercise at Sandhurst Military Academy.
The royal told her: "My head's all right. I've just picked up your messgae. Oh, my little babykins! I hope you are all right. I just tried ringing you but I do not think you would pick it up because it is 5.30am in the morning so it is probably not a very good time to ring you. I hope you are all right."
The revelation was made in the ongoing phone-hacking trial of former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman at The Old Bailey in London.
In another message, the Prince said: "Hi baby. Had a busy day today again. I've been running around the woods of Aldershot chasing shadows and getting terribly lost, and I walked into some other regiment's ambush, which was slightly embarrassing because I nearly got shot.
"Not by live rounds but by blank rounds, which would be very embarrassing though."
In another phone call, Prince William pretends to be his brother Harry's ex-girlfriend Chelsea Davy and jokingly calls him a "big hairy fat ginger."
He quipped: "Although you really are quite ugly for a ginger, I hope you're having a lovely time, I really miss you."
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