Discover the history of the British royal family surname

That the British royal family has different rules and traditions is nothing new to anyone, right? But members’ last names must also meet standards. Even though members don’t often use their last name, it has a story behind it.

The official surname used by members of the British Royal Family is Mountbatten-Windsor. However, not all members use it and its history is linked to the origins of the family.

Until the 20th century, families were known by the royal house or dynasty to which they belonged. Queen Victoria, for example, was known as Queen Victoria of the House of Hanover.

During World War I, King George V wanted to distance himself from German tradition. He thus created a new surname for his relatives, the British royal family. From 1917 onwards, descendants of King George V began using the surname Windsor.

However, Queen Elizabeth II, granddaughter of George V, decided to change her surname in 1952. This was because she wanted to create a bond with her husband, Prince Philip. This gave rise to the current surname of the royal family: Mountbatten-Windsor. In fact, the monarch was advised against taking this action at the time and it took around 8 years for the new name to be approved.

Members with royal titles, however, do not need to use their surname and, therefore, end up not being known by it. Like King Charles III and Prince William.

Source: Terra