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Mountbatten-Windsor

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Elizabeth in crown and robes next to her husband in military uniform
Coronation portrait of Elizabeth II and Philip, June 1953
Coat of arms of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Coat of arms of the House of Battenberg
Badge of the House of Windsor

Mountbatten-Windsor is the surname available to descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and can be used by them whenever a surname is required. Generally, those that are entitled to, and use, the royal style HRH Prince or Princess have no need of a surname. An example of when a surname is needed is when they get married. Mountbatten-Windsor combines the British royal family's House name of Windsor and Prince Philip's adopted surname of Mountbatten. Its use was authorised by a 1960 Privy Council declaration.

Origin

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Mountbatten-Windsor was created by combining the royal family's House name of Windsor and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's adopted surname of Mountbatten.[1] In 1960 the Privy Council declared:[2]

My Lords

Whereas on the 9th day of April 1952, I did declare in Council My Will and Pleasure that I and My children shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, and that My descendants, other than female descendants who marry and their descendants, shall bear the name of Windsor: And whereas I have given further consideration to the position of those of My descendants who will enjoy neither the style, title or attribute of Royal Highness, nor the titluar dignity of Prince and for whom therefore a surname will be necessary: And whereas I have concluded that the Declaration made by Me on the 9th day of April 1952, should be varied in its application to such persons:

Now therefore I declare My Will and Pleasure that, while I and My Children shall continue to be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, My descendants other than descendants enjoying the style, title or attribute of Royal Highness and the titular dignity of Prince or Princess and female descendants who marry and their descendants shall bear the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.

The Privy Council declaration made it so that Elizabeth's descendants with princely titles and male-line descendants who bear princely titles keep the name Windsor, pursuant to a declaration she made in a previous Privy Council meeting at the beginning of her reign; female descendants who marry, their descendants, and any other descendants who do not hold princely titles use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. While many of her descendants hold princely titles and styles, they usually use Mountbatten-Windsor instead of Windsor.

Current use

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The British monarchy asserts that the name Mountbatten-Windsor is used by members of the royal family who do not have a surname, when a surname is required.[3] For example, Anne, Princess Royal, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, children of Queen Elizabeth II, used the surname Mountbatten-Windsor in official marriage registry entries in 1973 and 1986 respectively.[4] Likewise, William, Prince of Wales, used the name when filing a French lawsuit related to the topless pictures of his wife published by the French magazine Closer.[5]

At the time of the 1960 declaration, palace officials claimed in private communications that it created a hidden surname that would emerge several generations later when some of Queen Elizabeth II's descendants were further removed from the throne.[6] On the wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, the Queen decided, with their agreement, that any of their future children should not be styled His or Her Royal Highness.[7] Consequently, the birth of their daughter in 2003 marked the first emergence of the Mountbatten-Windsor surname. Their daughter was named Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor, and she goes by the title of Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, her father being the Duke of Edinburgh.[8]

Mountbatten-Windsor differs from the official name of the British royal family, which remains the House of Windsor.[3] In accordance with law and custom in the English-speaking world, the surname Mountbatten-Windsor belongs to all male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and is used by them if and when a surname is needed. In contrast, male-line descendants of King George V, the first monarch of the House of Windsor, use Windsor as their surname if and when a surname is needed, as for example Lady Davina Windsor and Lady Marina Windsor, respectively descended from George V's sons Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Prince George, Duke of Kent. (George V's other sons have no male-line descendants: King George VI had only daughters while King Edward VIII had no issue and Prince John was unmarried.) After the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was renamed Windsor, other descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert could also use the name Windsor, as for example, Alastair Arthur Windsor, 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, grandson of their son Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. None do so today, however, because the only male line (apart from the descendants of King George V) is through Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, whose descendants use the surname Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (English) or von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (German).

Male-line descendants of Elizabeth II and Philip

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The family tree is based on the current line of succession to the British throne (addition of last heir)

Marriages

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Date Wedding Combined coat of arms
20 November 1947 Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten (formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark)
14 November 1973 Princess Anne and Mark Phillips
29 July 1981 Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer
23 July 1986 Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson
12 December 1992 Anne, Princess Royal and Timothy Laurence
19 June 1999 Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie Rhys-Jones
9 April 2005 Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles
29 April 2011 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton
19 May 2018 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle
12 October 2018 Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank
17 July 2020 Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kindelan, Katie (8 May 2019). "Prince Harry and Meghan announce their son's name: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor". ABC News. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  2. ^ "The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in Council". The London Gazette. No. 41948. 5 February 1960. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b "The Royal Family name". The British Monarchy. 3 April 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  4. ^ Philip Ziegler, Mountbatten: The Official Biography, 1985, p.682
  5. ^ Lichfield, John (19 September 2012). "William and Kate win legal battle – but lose war to keep topless photos under wraps". The Independent. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  6. ^ http://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/TNA/HO_290_72.htm (see, in particular, the article by Edward F. Iwi).
  7. ^ Even though such children would theoretically be a Prince or Princess under the 1917 letters patent which changed the name of the Royal House to Windsor.
  8. ^ "Lady Louise heralds return for Mountbattens". The Telegraph. 27 November 2003.
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