Mr and Mrs Windsor - Smith nee Saxe Coburg?

Question

When the British royal family changed their names from Saxe Coburg to Windsor in the early 20th Century,, why did they choose the name Windsor? Why not Smith or Bloggs or Patel or something?

Answer 1

They drew up a list of names that sounded patriotic and English (In fact, England was suggested)

Windsor was the winner.

Answer 2

After their wedding, Philip and Elizabeth took up residence at Clarence House, London. At various times between 1946 and 1953, the Duke of Edinburgh was stationed in Malta as a serving Royal Navy officer. Lord Mountbatten of Burma had purchased the Villa Gwardamangia (also referred to as the Villa G'Mangia), in the hamlet of Gwardamangia in Malta, in about 1929. Princess Elizabeth stayed there when visiting Philip in Malta. Philip and Elizabeth lived in Malta for a period between 1949 and 1951 (Malta being the only other country in which the Queen has lived, although at that time Malta was a British Protectorate).

On 14 November 1948, Elizabeth gave birth to her first child, Charles. Several weeks earlier, letters patent had been issued so that her children would enjoy a royal and princely status they would not otherwise have been entitled to.[citation needed] Otherwise they would have been styled merely as children of a duke. The couple had four children (see below) in all. Though the Royal House is named Windsor, it was decreed, via a 1960 Order-in-Council, that those descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip who were not Princes or Princesses of the United Kingdom should have the personal surname Mountbatten-Windsor. In practice all of their children, in honour of their father, have used Mountbatten-Windsor as their surname (or in Anne's case, her maiden surname). Both Charles and Anne used Mountbatten-Windsor as their surname in the published banns for their first marriages.

:)

Answer 3

I think it came from windsor castle which is the oldest royal castle still standing, and used by the monarch, in the country

Answer 4

The Royal Family changed the family name from Saxe Coburg Gotha to a more Anglicized name Windsor.

The Royal Family are headed by the Head of State, The first person of the Realm.

Why on God's earth would you expect them to have a common name?

Answer 5

were they living in Windsor? Just a guess :-)

Answer 6

Probably because Windsor is one of the oldest English names still in use. Windsor Castle was built by William the Conqueror just after his conquest in 1066, and took its name from the town, originally "Windlesore". It has been the basis of the monarchy for over 1000 years. It doesn't get more English than that, and the name reminds everyone at once, of the long tradition behind it.

Answer 7

The royal family as such did not really have a free choice in the matter, they were given a list of several suggestions, drawn up by the government. I expect they chose `the best of a bad lot` as far as they were concerned. I wonder, how any of us would feel if we were ordered to change our family surname, to please other people?