House of Windsor

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House of Windsor
Country	Commonwealth realms Antigua and Barbuda Australia The Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Grenada Jamaica New Zealand Papua New Guinea Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Solomon Islands Tuvalu United Kingdom
Parent house	House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, a branch of the House of Wettin
Titles	Various
Founder	George V
Current head	Elizabeth II
Founding year	1917

The House of Windsor is the current Royal House of the United Kingdom and each of the other Commonwealth realms. The royal house was created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha by George V by a royal proclamation in 1917. The House of Windsor is the only dynasty to have ruled over lands on all continents of the world simultaneously. The current head of the House of Windsor is Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch over the Commonwealth realms.^[1]

[edit] Descendants of Victoria

Queen Victoria was married to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – son of Duke Ernst I of the small German duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Her descendants were also members of the ducal family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a minor branch of the thousand-year-old House of Wettin. It was Victoria's desire that her son rule as a member of the House of Wettin, instead of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, because she felt the older name would conjure images of the shared Saxon heritage of Germany and England. However, the name Wettin was never widely accepted. Victoria's son, Edward VII, and, in turn, his son, George V, reigned as members of this house.

High anti-German sentiment amongst the people of the British Empire during World War I reached a peak in March 1917, when the Gotha G.IV, a heavy aircraft capable of crossing the English Channel began bombing London directly. The aircraft became a household name, and it unfortunately was part of the name of the royal family. These bombings were coupled with the abdication of King George's first cousin, Nicholas II, the Tsar of Russia on 15 March 1917, which raised the specter of the eventual abolition of all the monarchies in Europe. The King and his family were finally convinced to abandon all titles held under the German Crown, and to change Germanic titles and house names to Anglican versions. Hence, on 17 July 1917, a Royal Proclamation issued by George V provided that he and all his agnatic descendants would be members of the House of Windsor, with the personal surname Windsor if they did not have a title. The name had a long association with royalty, through the town of Windsor, Berkshire and Windsor Castle, a link reflected in the Round Tower of Windsor Castle being the basis of the badge of the House of Windsor. At the same time, Prince Louis of Battenberg adopted the surname Mountbatten, a partial translation into English. Prince Louis is the maternal grandfather of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. From the point of view of the king and his relatives, to think of them as German was ludicrous; George V had a German grandfather who died before he was born, while Prince Louis had become a naturalised British citizen at the age of 14, after which he immediately entered the Royal Navy.

"A Good Riddance". Propaganda cartoon from Punch, Vol. 152, 27 June 1917, commenting on the King having ordered the relinquishing of the German titles held by members of His Majesty's family.

Upon hearing that his cousin had changed the name of the British royal house to Windsor, German Emperor Wilhelm II remarked jokingly that he planned to see Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The two cousins had been previously photographed riding horses together in 1910 at the funeral of George's father, Edward VII, and again at Potsdam palace circa 1913.(Photo of Kings 1913)

The name change helped the Royal Family keep the loyalty of the British people, and the United Kingdom retained the monarchy, allowing King George to avoid the fate of two of his first cousins, Wilhelm II and Nicholas II of Russia, who were both deposed, the latter also being murdered with his entire family. The ancient monarchies of Austro-Hungary and the Ottoman empire were also removed from power in the aftermath of World War I.

[edit] Descendants of Elizabeth II

When Princess Elizabeth (as she then was) married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, the standard practice would be to adopt his family household name. Because he was a prince, Prince Philip did not have a surname but he was of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a minor branch of the House of Oldenburg. Not wishing to repeat the difficulties of three decades previous, before his marriage Prince Philip renounced his titles and adopted the surname Mountbatten, which his maternal grandfather had created in 1917.

On April 9th 1952, Queen Elizabeth II officially declared her "Will and Pleasure that I and My children shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, and that my descendants who marry and their descendants, shall bear the name of Windsor."^[2]. On February 8th 1960, the Queen confirmed that she and her children would continue to be known as the House and Family of Windsor, as would any agnatic descendants who enjoy the style of His/Her Royal Highness, and the title of Prince or Princess.^[2] Still, Elizabeth also decreed that her agnatic descendants who do not have that style and title would bear the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.^[2]

Any future monarch can change the dynastic name through a similar royal proclamation, but it is not anticipated that HRH The Prince of Wales will change the name of the royal family.

[edit] Complete List of Members of the House of Windsor

Windsor Family: George V, His Six Children & Descendants
CA means excluded from succession due to being Roman Catholic or having married a Catholic
LG means legitimated by subsequent marriage
(LG+) first generation or (LG-) later generation

Gen.	Succession	Name	Birth (& Death)	Image
0	Deceased	HM George V founder	3 June 1865(1865-06-03) 20 January 1936 (aged 70)
1	Deceased	HM Edward VIII (later HRH The Duke of Windsor)	23 June 1894(1894-06-23) 28 May 1972 (aged 77)
1	Deceased	HM George VI	14 December 1895(1895-12-14) 6 February 1952 (aged 56)
2	Sovereign	HM The Queen, Elizabeth II	21 April 1926 (1926-04-21) (age 83)
3	01	HRH The Prince of Wales	14 November 1948 (1948-11-14) (age 60)
4	02	HRH Prince William of Wales	21 June 1982 (1982-06-21) (age 27)
4	03	HRH Prince Henry of Wales	15 September 1984 (1984-09-15) (age 24)
3	04	HRH The Duke of York	19 February 1960 (1960-02-19) (age 49)
4	05	HRH Princess Beatrice of York	8 August 1988 (1988-08-08) (age 20)
4	06	HRH Princess Eugenie of York	23 March 1990 (1990-03-23) (age 19)
3	07	HRH The Earl of Wessex	10 March 1964 (1964-03-10) (age 45)
4	08	Viscount Severn	17 December 2007 (2007-12-17) (age 1)	image
4	09	Lady Louise Windsor	8 November 2003 (2003-11-08) (age 5)	image
3	10	HRH The Princess Royal	15 August 1950 (1950-08-15) (age 58)
4	11	Mr Peter Phillips	15 November 1977 (1977-11-15) (age 31)	image
4	12	Miss Zara Phillips	15 May 1981 (1981-05-15) (age 28)	image
2	Deceased	HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon	21 August 1930(1930-08-21) 9 February 2002 (aged 71)
3	13	Viscount Linley	3 November 1961 (1961-11-03) (age 47)	image
4	14	The Hon Charles Armstrong-Jones	1 July 1999 (1999-07-01) (age 10)
4	15	The Hon Margarita Armstrong-Jones	14 May 2002 (2002-05-14) (age 7)
3	16	Lady Sarah Chatto	1 May 1964 (1964-05-01) (age 45)	image
4	17	Master Samuel Chatto	28 July 1996 (1996-07-28) (age 12)	image
4	18	Master Arthur Chatto	5 February 1999 (1999-02-05) (age 10)	image
1	Deceased	HRH The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester	31 March 1900(1900-03-31) 10 June 1974 (aged 74)
2	Deceased	HRH Prince William of Gloucester	18 December 1941(1941-12-18) 28 August 1972 (aged 30)
2	19	HRH The Duke of Gloucester	26 August 1944 (1944-08-26) (age 64)
3	20	Earl of Ulster	24 October 1974 (1974-10-24) (age 34)	image
4	21	Lord Culloden	12 March 2007 (2007-03-12) (age 2)
3	22	Lady Davina Lewis	19 November 1977 (1977-11-19) (age 31)	image
3	23	Lady Rose Gilman	1 March 1980 (1980-03-01) (age 29)	image
1	Deceased	HRH The Prince George, Duke of Kent	20 December 1902(1902-12-20) 25 August 1942 (aged 39)
2	24	HRH The Duke of Kent	9 October 1935 (1935-10-09) (age 73)
3	CA	Earl of St Andrews	26 May 1962 (1962-05-26) (age 47)	on left
4	CA	Lord Downpatrick	2 December 1988 (1988-12-02) (age 20)	image
4	CA	Lady Marina Windsor	30 September 1992 (1992-09-30) (age 16)
4	25	Lady Amelia Windsor	24 August 1995 (1995-08-24) (age 13)
3	CA	Lord Nicholas Windsor	25 June 1970 (1970-06-25) (age 39)	image
4	CA	Master Albert Windsor	22 September 2007 (2007-09-22) (age 1)
3	26	Lady Helen Taylor	28 April 1964 (1964-04-28) (age 45)	image
4	27	Master Columbus Taylor	6 August 1994 (1994-08-06) (age 14)
4	28	Master Cassius Taylor	26 December 1996 (1996-12-26) (age 12)
4	29	Miss Eloise Taylor	2 March 2003 (2003-03-02) (age 6)
4	30	Miss Estella Taylor	21 December 2004 (2004-12-21) (age 4)
2	CA	HRH Prince Michael of Kent	4 July 1942 (1942-07-04) (age 67)	image
3	31	Lord Frederick Windsor	6 April 1979 (1979-04-06) (age 30)	image
3	32	Lady Gabriella Windsor	23 April 1981 (1981-04-23) (age 28)	image
2	33	HRH Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy	25 December 1936 (1936-12-25) (age 72)	image
3	34	Mr James Ogilvy	29 February 1964 (1964-02-29) (age 45)	left
4	35	Miss Flora Ogilvy	15 December 1994 (1994-12-15) (age 14)
4	36	Master Alexander Ogilvy	12 November 1996 (1996-11-12) (age 12)
3	37	Mrs Marina Ogilvy	31 July 1966 (1966-07-31) (age 42)	center
4	38	Mr Christian Mowatt	4 June 1993 (1993-06-04) (age 16)	right
4	39	Miss Zenouska Mowatt	26 May 1990 (1990-05-26) (age 19)	left
1	Deceased	HRH The Prince John	12 July 1905(1905-07-12) 18 January 1919 (aged 13)
1	Deceased	HRH The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood	25 April 1897(1897-04-25) 28 March 1965 (aged 67)
2	40	The Rt Hon The Earl of Harewood	7 February 1923 (1923-02-07) (age 86)	image
3	41	Viscount Lascelles	21 October 1950 (1950-10-21) (age 58)	image
4	LG+	The Hon Emily Shard	23 November 1975 (1975-11-23) (age 33)
5	LG-	Master Issac Shard	2008
5	LG-	Miss Ida Shard	2008
4	LG+	The Hon Benjamin Lascelles	23 November 1978 (1978-11-23) (age 30)
4	42	The Hon Alexander Lascelles	13 May 1980 (1980-05-13) (age 29)
5	LG+	Leo Cyrus Anthony Lascelles	1 March 2008 (2008-03-01) (age 1)
4	43	The Hon Edward Lascelles	19 November 1982 (1982-11-19) (age 26)
3	44	The Hon James Lascelles	5 October 1953 (1953-10-05) (age 55)	image
4	45	Mr Rowan Lascelles	6 November 1977 (1977-11-06) (age 31)
4	46	Miss Sophie Lascelles	1 October 1973 (1973-10-01) (age 35)
4	LG+	Miss Tanit Lascelles	1 July 1981 (1981-07-01) (age 28)
4	47	Mr Tewa Lascelles	8 June 1985 (1985-06-08) (age 24)
3	48	The Hon Jeremy Lascelles	14 February 1955 (1955-02-14) (age 54)
4	49	Mr Thomas Lascelles	7 September 1982 (1982-09-07) (age 26)
4	50	Miss Ellen Lascelles	17 December 1984 (1984-12-17) (age 24)
4	51	Miss Amy Lascelles	26 June 1986 (1986-06-26) (age 23)
4	52	Miss Tallulah Lascelles	1 December 2005 (2005-12-01) (age 3)
3	LG+	Mr Mark Lascelles	4 July 1964 (1964-07-04) (age 45)
4	LG-	Miss Charlotte Lascelles	24 January 1996 (1996-01-24) (age 13)
4	LG-	Miss Imogen Lascelles	3 January 1998 (1998-01-03) (age 11)
4	LG-	Miss Miranda Lascelles	15 July 2000 (2000-07-15) (age 9)
2	Deceased	The Hon Gerald Lascelles	21 August 1924(1924-08-21) 27 February 1998 (aged 73)	image
3	53	Mr Henry Lascelles	9 May 1953 (1953-05-09) (age 56)	image
4	54	Maximilian Lascelles	19 December 1991 (1991-12-19) (age 17)
3	LG+	Mr Martin Lascelles	9 February 1962 (1962-02-09) (age 47)
4	LG-	Miss Georgina Douet-Lascelles	22 December 1988 (1988-12-22) (age 20)
4	LG-	Mr Alexander Lascelles	20 September 2002 (2002-09-20) (age 6)

[edit] Statistics for the House of Windsor

• CREATION: When the House of Windsor was created in 1917 the only members were King George V, and his 6 unmarried children ranging in age from 23 to 12. The death of The Prince John at age 13, was the first change. No subsequent child in the Windsor family has been named John.

• KING GEORGE VI: On Dec. 11 1936, when King George VI became king there were 8 Windsors in the line of succession (The King's 2 daughters, 3 siblings, and 3 nephews). A niece was born 2 weeks later. The oldest brother, Edward VIII, was not in the line having abdicated the throne to marry the woman of his choice.

• ELIZABETH II: In 1952, when Elizabeth became Queen, there were 13 Windsors in the line (The Queen's 2 children, 1 sister, 1 uncle, 1 aunt, 7 first cousins, 1 first cousin once removed ). During the 15 years and 8 weeks of her father's reign 6 children had been born and Elizabeth's uncle had died in a plane crash during the war.

This list is complete as of 29 Mar 2009. King George V, creator of the House of Windsor has 83 known descendants in five generations. Out of the known descendants, 1 is currently the monarch and 54 family members are in the line of succession. Members who are (1) Catholic or (2) married to Catholics, or (3) illegitimate or legitimated by marriage are excluded by peerage regulations. Spouses are not included in the list.

The first generation of illegitimate children on this table are all legitimatio per matrimonium subsequens or legitimated by subsequent marriage. Under British law, they and their descendants are forever excluded from the line of succession. In some cases they are also excluded from other titles. Other monarchies are different. Monaco, for instance recognizes these children as eligible for the throne. There are no other illegitimate children openly acknowledged by members of the family.

The Catholics are from three families. Prince Michael married his Catholic wife in 1978, but his children were raised in communion with the Anglican church and are still eligible. The Duke of Kent's (#24) wife converted to Catholicism decades after they were married. Her later conversion does not exclude him. However his two sons have converted to Catholicism. One son has 3 children, and the other one has a baby. Of these four children, only Lady Amelia Windsor (#25) is still in the line, but it is presumed that she will follow the lead of her siblings and parents and be baptized when she is older.

[edit] Jurisdictions

At the creation of the House of Windsor, its head reigned over a unitary British Empire. Following the end of the First World War, however, geo-political shifts took place that saw the emergence of the Dominions as sovereign states, the first step being the issuance of the Balfour Declaration in 1926, followed by the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act the next year, and the Statute of Westminster in 1931. From then on, the House of Windsor became the royal house of multiple countries, a number that shifted over the decades as various Dominions and Crown colonies gained independence, and various of those moved to become monarchies under a different sovereign or a republic. Since 1949, the head of the House of Windsor is also Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, comprising most (but not all) parts of the former British Empire and some states that were never part of it.

In the chart below, the countries are differentiated between light green (realms of the House of Windsor as Dominions), medium green (present realms of the House of Windsor), and dark green (former realms of the House of Windsor).

			1920					1925					1930					1935					1940					1945					1950					1955					1960					1965					1970					1975					1980					1985					1990					1995					2000					2005
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Ceylon
Fiji
The Gambia
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
Indian Empire
Union of India
Irish Free State
Jamaica
Kenya
Malawi
Malta
Mauritius
New Zealand
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Rhodesia
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Tanganyika
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Kingdom
			1920					1925					1930					1935					1940					1945					1950					1955					1960					1965					1970					1975					1980					1985					1990					1995					2000					2005

[edit] House of Windsor and the Line of Succession

George V (right) with his cousin-by-marriage, Nicholas II, in 1913.

When the House of Windsor was created, the House of Windsor applied to George V and his children. However, there was no law passed to limit the Line of Succession. At this time the line was approaching a thousand people who were legitimately descended from King George I. In addition to the 6 Windsor children, the next 5 on the list were British. Even considering the dangers of wartime, it was highly unlikely that a series of disasters would occur so that the sovereign would pass outside of the kingdom so it would not have been risky to limit the line to these 11 people.

The British members were followed by the royal members in Norway, Romania, and the Tsar of Russia. The Tsar was descended from George I via three different bloodlines. The Tsar's wife was a first cousin of George V. Wilhelm II, German Emperor, the first cousin of King George shared a common grandmother, Queen Victoria, so he was on the list. The line of succession was roughly half Germans. The line included all of the Kings of Prussia except the first king. The line of succession apparently did not disturb the public as much as the Germanic household names, the Germanic titles, and the photos of their king riding with the Emperor of Germany taken only three years earlier. As H.G. Wells put it, the royalty was "an alien and uninspiring Court".

[edit] Descendants of Edward VII

The House of Windsor was created from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (a minor branch of the House of Wettin). Officially, Edward VII was the only British monarch to rule as a member of this house. George V is considered to be a member of the House of Windsor. The 7 living descendants of Lady Maud Duff are considered part of the extended British Royal family. The Norwegian royal family is the closest family to the Windsors.

[edit] Further reading

• Longford, Elizabeth Harman (Countess of Longford). The Royal House of Windsor. Revised ed. Crown, 1984.
• Roberts, Andrew. The House of Windsor. University of California Press, 2000.

[edit] See also

• British Royal Family
• Canadian Royal Family
• Australian Royal Family
• New Zealand Royal Family
• Mountbatten-Windsor
• Windsor, Berkshire
• Windsor Castle

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

• Royal Family Name from royal.gov.uk
• House of Windsor from royal.gov.uk
• House of Windsor Tree from royal.gov.uk [Lord Culloden & Albert Windsor are missing]