17th July 1917: British royal family renamed to the House of Windsor by King George V

Queen Victoria had married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. As a result their eldest son, King Edward VII, and his successor, George V, inherited the German ducal titles. While this was not a problem at first, the outbreak of World War I in 1914 saw Britain go to war against Germany. As anti-German sentiment began to rise among the British public, the royal family’s German connections became increasingly problematic.
In early 1917 George’s cousin, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, had been forced to abdicate and this triggered a fear that anti-monarchy sentiment might spread across Europe. Meanwhile in Britain, public opinion had solidified against anything perceived as German, and there was a strong desire for symbols of national unity and British patriotism. This only increased following the bombing of London by a German aircraft named the Gotha G.IV.
Aware of the problems presented by his family’s name, on July 17 King George made a historic proclamation that all descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the male line, who were British subjects, would bear the surname Windsor, which was chosen for its strong association with Windsor Castle, a longstanding symbol of the British monarchy.
The change was well-received by the British public and helped to solidify the monarchy’s image during a time of national crisis. It also set a precedent for future royal name changes and adaptations. In 1960, Queen Elizabeth II further modified the royal family's name, adopting the surname Mountbatten-Windsor for her descendants, incorporating her husband’s surname alongside Windsor.

[@minibus9]

awesome video

[@edwards.8801]

Interesting 🤔

[@louisfinegan4546]

Wasn't Mountbatton itself a anglicisation of Battenburg?

[@WDKimball]

It was a WWI propaganda move, because obviously the British royal don’t use a surname, they use titles. Prince William used Wales while he was growing up as his father was the Prince of Wales, then Cambridge when he became the Duke of Cambridge, and has resorted back to Wales now that he is the Prince of Wales.

[@nr8337]

The House of Windsor is associated with The House of Stuart. Kensington is Hanover and Saxe,Coburg and Gotha. After George V the blood line became matrilineally Scottish as opposed to German so they gave the family a more Scottish name: Windsor.

[@nr8337]

The family then became more apparently French,with Edward moving to a Villa in Paris, France after abdicating,a country where Royal Stuarts have lived historically. Princess Diana also had a residence in France.

[@nr8337]

That's my understanding. Although there are some historians who contend the name was made up? Who knows 🧐

[@WDKimball]

@@nr8337 FYI. Windsor is in England, on the banks of the Thames. Balmoral is in Scotland if that’s any help. 🙂

[@johnforrester9120]

No George the 6th

[@paulcowlishaw]

Was George the fith Queen Elizabeth dad???

[@Wisdomcucco]

George the sixth

[@paulcowlishaw]

@@Wisdomcucco I thought it was George the 6th.