What is the Queen of Enlgand's Surname?

Question

I never heard anyone say it so I was just wondering

Answer 1

The british royal family changed their last name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917. Why? WWone broke out in 1914 and anti-german sentiment was at its height in 1917, in protest, king george V renounced all the german titles belonging to him and his family and adopted the name of his castle - Windsor.

This was confirmed by Queen Elizabeth II after her accession in 1952,

and from 1960 all the royal descendants other than females who marry bear the name windsor

Answer 2

It's Windsor...like everyone says..

Answer 3

Windsor, and she's the last one.

Charles has taken the surname Windsor-Mountbatten.

Answer 4

Windsor.

= )

Answer 5

I can't believe that you've never heard it mentioned before!This question has been asked too many times here. I actually have received the best answer vote on this queston several times! The COMPLETE answer follows.

Titled royals do not use surnames,usually,but ROYAL HOUSE NAMES or TITLE NAMES.

The current Queen is of The Royal House of Windsor. Her family name was originally Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, but was changed during World War I to the more English-sounding Windsor,the name of one of their houses. George V changed the name in 1917,right after some of his German relatives bombed London,using twin-engined GOTHA war planes! He was miffed;so was he rest of England.Ever mindful of what his English -born grandmother,Victoria said,George stood up for his country,England,and adopted the English moniker.

Philip is of the Danish Royal House,the same house of Queen Alexandra,Edwrad VI's wife,called Sclesweig-Holstein-

Sonderburg-Glucksburg.

The English-based part of the family beame Battenbergs,then the anglicized Mountbattens.

Charles will be of the Royal House of Windsor when he becomes King. But for now, he and his titled siblings use their title names. The Prince of Wales and sons use Wales. Andrew, Duke of York and daughters use York. Edward and Sophie use their title name of Wessex. Anne's children are UNTITLED and use their father's name Phillips.

Any untitled descendant of the Queen's who needs a surname can use Mountbatten-Windsor.

http://www.royal.gov/uk/output/Page5657....

says:

"People often ask whether members of the Royal Family have a surname, and, if so, what it is.

The situation of members of the Royal Family is more complex than for most people, as they can be known both by the name of the Royal house, and by a surname, which are not always the same.

Before 1917, members of the British Royal Family had no surname, but only the name of the house or dynasty to which they belonged.

Kings and princes were historically known by the names of the countries over which they and their families ruled. Kings and queens therefore signed themselves by their first names only, a tradition in the United Kingdom which has continued to the present day.

The names of dynasties tended to change when the line of succession was taken by a rival faction within the family (for example, Henry IV and the Lancastrians, Edward IV and the Yorkists, Henry VII and the Tudors), or when succession passed to a different family branch through females (for example, Henry II and the Angevins, James I and the Stuarts, George I and the Hanoverians).

Just as children can take their surnames from their father, so sovereigns normally take the name of their 'House' from their father. For this reason, Queen Victoria's eldest son Edward VII belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (the family name of his father Prince Albert). Edward VII's son George V became the second king of that dynasty when he succeeded to the throne in 1910.

In 1917, there was a radical change, when George V specifically adopted Windsor, not only as the name of the 'House' or dynasty, but also as the surname of his family. The family name was changed as a result of anti-German feeling during the First World War, and the name Windsor was adopted after the Castle of the same name.

At a meeting of the Privy Council on 17 July 1917, George V declared that 'all descendants in the male line of Queen Victoria, who are subjects of these realms, other than female descendants who marry or who have married, shall bear the name of Windsor'.      

            

The Royal Family name of Windsor was confirmed by The Queen after her accession in 1952. However, in 1960, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh decided that they would like their own direct descendants to be distinguished from the rest of the Royal Family (without changing the name of the Royal House), as Windsor is the surname used by all the male and unmarried female descendants of George V.

It was therefore declared in the Privy Council that The Queen's descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.

This reflected Prince Philip's surname. In 1947, when Prince Philip of Greece became naturalised, he assumed the name of Philip Mountbatten as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy.

The effect of the declaration was that all The Queen's children, on occasions when they needed a surname, would have the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

For the most part, members of the Royal Family who are entitled to the style and dignity of HRH Prince or Princess do not need a surname, but if at any time any of them do need a surname (such as upon marriage), that surname is Mountbatten-Windsor.

The surname Mountbatten-Windsor first appeared on an official document on 14 November 1973, in the marriage register at Westminster Abbey for the marriage of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips.

A proclamation on the Royal Family name by the reigning monarch is not statutory; unlike an Act of Parliament, it does not pass into the law of the land. Such a proclamation is not binding on succeeding reigning sovereigns, nor does it set a precedent which must be followed by reigning sovereigns who come after.

Unless The Prince of Wales chooses to alter the present decisions when he becomes king, he will continue to be of the House of Windsor and his grandchildren will use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor."