A new biography of Madonna has lifted the curtain on how she got the nickname Madge – and what her reaction was.
Written by Mary Gabriel, the book Madonna: A Rebel Life hit the shelves this Tuesday amid a blizzard of media attention and anticipation.
In its pages, the author writes that Madonna was called ‘Madge’ by fans in the UK near the turn of the 21st century, per People.
While cutting her 2000 album Music in Britain, she apparently indulged in so little diva behavior that the locals began calling her Madge to signify her normality.
However, Guy Ritchie, who became her second husband that year, reportedly told a very different story about the origin of the nickname.
Throwback: A new biography of Madonna has lifted the curtain on how she got the nickname Madge in the UK in the noughties; pictured in London in 2000
Aglow: Written by Mary Gabriel, the book Madonna: A Rebel Life hit the shelves this Tuesday amid a blizzard of media attention and anticipation
In an apparent attempt to reassure her that her fans don’t call her ordinary, Guy is said to have told her that Madge is short for Her Majesty.
Indeed, at that time Her Major was already an affectionate nickname used by the British for their own sovereign Queen Elizabeth II.
Meanwhile, Madonna herself was already the recipient of several sobriquets, including the Material Girl and the Queen Of Pop.
The new biography arrived on the scene while Madonna was rehearsing for her Celebration World Tour, which had to be put on hold this summer due to her health crisis.
Madonna’s Celebration Tour was slated to begin in mid-July with a North American leg that would sweep through more than 20 cities in the United States and Canada.
However, that leg had to be delayed after Madonna’s health took a sudden turn that struck fear into the hearts of her worldwide fans.
She was confined to the ICU for several days after contracting what her manager announced was a ‘severe bacterial infection’.
Submit a report Radar online sensationally claims that she suffered acute septic shock and was revived with Narcan, which is typically used to treat overdoses.
Details: Guy Ritchie, who became her second husband that year, allegedly told her a very different story about the origin of the nickname; the couple is pictured in 2000
Dashing: In an apparent attempt to reassure her that her fans don’t call her commoner, Guy is said to have told her that Madge is short for Her Majesty; the couple is pictured in 2000
Sepsis occurs when the body responds to an infection by releasing chemicals that can lead to severe organ dysfunction, sometimes with fatal consequences.
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Madonna for comment.
The Celebration Tour will now kick off with its European leg, which was originally scheduled to begin on October 14 at London’s O2 Arena.
On the day of the biopic’s release, Madonna was seen emerging from a Manchester hotel on her way to her concert rehearsals.