Mountbatten-Windsor
Under an ambiguously-worded
Order-in-Council issued in
1960, the name
Mountbatten-Windsor is the personal
surname of some of the descendants of Queen
Elizabeth II and
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It differs from the official name of the
British Royal Family or
Royal House, which remains
Windsor. The adoption of this surname does not apply to members of the
royal family who are not descended from the Queen. The Order specifically applies the surname to those descendants of the Queen not holding Royal styles and titles but in practice it is used by all the British Royal Family descended from Queen Elizabeth II as their surname, as shown at the marriages of the
Duke of York and the
Princess Royal, when both used
Mountbatten-Windsor in their entries in the marriage registers.
[[Image:George V of the United Kingdom - Punch cartoon - Project Gutenberg eText 16113.png|thumb|
A Good riddanceThe King has done a popular act in abolishing the German titles held by members of His Majesty's family.
Cartoon from {{Punch (magazine)|Punch}} magazine Vol. 152, {{June 27}}, {{1917}}, noting the change in the UK Royal Family's change of name to Windsor]]
Mountbatten originates in the German
Battenberg.
Prince Louis of Battenberg changed his surname to Mountbatten (a literal English translation) during the First World War at the request of
King George V. When the then
Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark took British citizenship, he used this as his surname, since he descends from the Mountbatten family through his mother,
Princess Alice of Battenberg. It may also be seen as an act in honour of the British Field Marshal
Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the Prince's uncle.
The following people either hold or have held, under the above common interpretation, the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. They are listed in the order of succession to the Crown.
*
Prince Charles, the
Prince of Wales (whose wives both assumed the surname on marriage)
**
Prince William of Wales**
Prince Henry of Wales (more commonly known as
Prince Harry)
*
Prince Andrew, the
Duke of York**
Princess Beatrice of York**
Princess Eugenie of York*
Prince Edward, the
Earl of Wessex (his wife, formerly
Sophie Rhys-Jones, assumed his surname on their marriage)
**
Lady Louise Windsor - daughter of the Earl of Wessex, whose surname is
Mountbatten-Windsor but whose title is simply
Windsor.
*
Princess Anne, the
Princess Royal (until her marriage with
Mark Phillips in
1973 (div.
1992), when she assumed his surname; her surname has subsequently changed again on the occasion of her marriage with
Timothy Laurence in 1992)
Of course, few of these people use this surname, owing to the
styles that are used for members of the Royal Family. For example, when the Duke of York was in the Navy, he was referred to as
Lieutenant His Royal Highness, The Prince Andrew before he became The Duke of York, and
Lieutenant His Royal Highness, The Duke of York afterwards - but not
Lieutenant Mountbatten-Windsor. While
Mountbatten-Windsor was entered into the marriage register for Prince Andrew and Princess Anne, the Prince of Wales was entered as simply "The Prince Charles Philip Arthur George".
Both Princes William and Harry have used "Wales" as a last name during their schooling. Both are known as Officer Cadet Wales at the
Sandhurst Military Academy. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie of York both similarly use "York" as a last name.
The
Earl of Wessex has styled himself "Edward Wessex" for his television series
Crown and Country since acquiring that title upon his marriage. Prior thereto, the show's credits listed him as "Edward Windsor."
*
Battenberg*
Mountbatten*
Wettin*
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg*Staff at
Buckingham Palace and
St. James's Palace were consulted for this article.
