British royals: why their name is Windsor

British royals
Why the royal family’s last name is Windsor

In February 1840 Queen Victoria, the great-great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth and half German, married the German Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The royal family takes its name. With the onset of World War I in July 1914, the striking connection to Germany became more and more of a problem – an existential problem.

Anti-German sentiment threatens the royals

“Anything that has a connection to the feared and hated Germany was an abomination,” reports Royal expert Alastair Bruce, 60, in the documentary “The Royal House of Windsor”. Immigrants are threatened, targets are thrown at their businesses and the powerful are not spared either. “The mood is changing,” recalls Bruce. “The public did [1916] enough of the war, the many deaths, the hardships and the torment. The old order, the great institutional monarchies of Europe, are collapsing. “

At the time of the war, King George V, the grandson of Victoria and Albert, is on the throne. He has six children with his wife, Queen Mary, of German descent. Sue Gibbons of the Anglo-German Family History Society explains, “It must be a very troubling time for that [Königs]Have been family […]. After everything we’ve done, after all the long time we’ve been here, do you still see us as Germans? Are they going to kick us out? “

Worry about your own life

A cautionary and terrifying example is shown to the king when he looks at Russia: his cousin, Tsar Nicholas II, and his family are captured after the victory of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution in 1917 and executed on July 17, 1918.

As the head of the nation, George V is expected to be the strong figurehead of the British people. The king knows: either the British royals adapt and free themselves from the shackles of their origins – or they run the risk of losing their power. Or, even worse: to die like the tsarist family.

The Royals need a new surname

In the light of the Russian Revolution and the anti-German sentiment in England, the king’s private secretary is tasked with finding a new name for the royal family. The eternal memorial of Saxony-Coburg and Gotha must go!

Documents from the royal archives at Windsor Castle reveal that Lord Stamfordham pored over several historical books in order to make a suitable proposal to his boss and the prime minister. But in vain. Plantagenet, Tudor, Tudor-Stuart, Fitzroy or Guelph – all potential names are rejected.

And then that too: On June 13, 1917, a devastating German air raid on London took place. Over 100 bombs were dropped from 14 aircraft over the city, 162 civilians were killed, including 18 children during class in a school. The name of the bomber: Gotha. It’s a tragedy for the country and another disaster for the royals’ image.

The name Windsor is born

Private Secretary Lord Stamfordham gets the all-important inspiration on the very same day – and it was right in front of him the whole time. He writes to the King: “I hope we have now found a name that you will like. Accordingly, Queen Victoria should be regarded as the one who founded the House of Windsor.”

The monarch likes the idea. Historian Miranda Carter explains in the documentary why: “Windsor is a brilliant idea, a fantastic branding. It symbolizes safety, comfort, this beautiful, lush landscape, tea and cake. It says directly how King George wants the royal family to be. “

King George V founds a new dynasty

It becomes official on July 17, 1917. In a proclamation, Queen Elizabeth’s grandfather announced that both the royal family and the royal family will bear the Windsor name with immediate effect. To date, the House of Windsor has produced three kings and one queen: George V (1910-1936), Edward VIII (1936), George VI. (1936 to 1952) and Elizabeth (since 1952). The fifth in the league will one day be today’s Prince Charles.

Source used: Documentation “The Royal House of Windsor”, first broadcast on Channel 4 in 2017, currently available on Netflix

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