Queen Victoria had married Prince Albert of SaxeCoburg 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 antiGerman 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 antimonarchy 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 wellreceived 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 MountbattenWindsor for her descendants, incorporating her husband’s surname alongside Windsor.