Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Why is the surname of the British royal family Windsor? Why is it no longer Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which was the surname of Queen’s Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert and their son, Edward VII, as well as his descendants up until 1917? Furthermore, why is it not Mountbatten-Windsor, after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II? The answer lies in the family’s Germanic roots and the problems they caused during World War 1, when the United Kingdom was at war with Germany and the family’s German surname became an embarrassment. As a result, George V took the unusual step of changing the entire dynasty’s name to something quintessentially British and chose to use Windsor Castle as his inspiration, as it is one of the oldest royal residences in Britain. This royal rebranding exercise took place in 1917 and the House of Windsor was born.
In this week’s royal family documentary from History Calling, I take you through the history of the family’s surnames and the decision to change it. I also explain the difference between Windsor and Mountbatten-Windsor, why the House is called one thing, while many of its members are called another (on the rare occasions that some of them need surnames at all) and when the surname was changed. This will include an explanation of why Prince Philip had the surname Mountbatten when he was a Prince of Greece and Denmark by birth and why he and Queen Elizabeth changed their family name in 1960.
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Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
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Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
SOME SOURCES:
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
Why is the surname of the British royal family Windsor? Why is it no longer Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which was the surname of Queen’s Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert and their son, Edward VII, as well as his descendants up until 1917? Furthermore, why is it not Mountbatten-Windsor, after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II? The answer lies in the family’s Germanic roots and the problems they caused during World War 1, when the United Kingdom was at war with Germany and the family’s German surname became an embarrassment. As a result, George V took the unusual step of changing the entire dynasty’s name to something quintessentially British and chose to use Windsor Castle as his inspiration, as it is one of the oldest royal residences in Britain. This royal rebranding exercise took place in 1917 and the House of Windsor was born.
In this week’s royal family documentary from History Calling, I take you through the history of the family’s surnames and the decision to change it. I also explain the difference between Windsor and Mountbatten-Windsor, why the House is called one thing, while many of its members are called another (on the rare occasions that some of them need surnames at all) and when the surname was changed. This will include an explanation of why Prince Philip had the surname Mountbatten when he was a Prince of Greece and Denmark by birth and why he and Queen Elizabeth changed their family name in 1960.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
COULD PRINCE WILLIAM BECOME REGENT FOR CHARLES III?
youtu.be/ey0hCtBIdjU
COULD HARRY AND MEGHAN LOSE THEIR TITLES?
youtu.be/LpVKMPeh85I
SPARES WHO BECAME HEIRS
youtu.be/myPAhU5Ujzw
PRINCES OF WALES WHO NEVER BECAME KING
youtu.be/tob7VwMue1U
ALL THE PRINCESSES OF WALES
youtu.be/-6f1WmRs-v8
LIFE OF ELIZABETH II
youtu.be/pIOBbBwvymA
KING CHARLES III COINS
youtu.be/0SUuN_rL38o
THE FATE OF THE RUSSIAN ROYAL FAMILY
youtu.be/EsHr13d14XU
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
SOME SOURCES:
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
