Mountbatten-Windsor

Under the more common interpretation of an ambiguously-worded Order-in-Council issued in 1960, the name Mountbatten-Windsor is the personal surname of the descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It differs from the official name of the British Royal Family or Royal House, which remains Windsor. The change of surname does not apply to members of the royal family who are not descended from the Queen.

According to more obnoxious interpretations, Prince Philip and his children, including the British Crown Prince, still belongs to the German dynasty (and royal house of Denmark and Norway), Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderborg-Glücksburg, although they all share the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

Holders of the surname Mountbatten-Windsor

The following people either hold or have held the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. They are listed in the order of succession to the Crown.

• Charles, Prince of Wales
• Prince William of Wales
• Prince Harry of Wales
• Andrew, Duke of York
• Princess Beatrice of York
• Princess Eugenie of York
• Edward, Earl of Wessex (his wife, formerly Sophie Rhys-Jones assumed his surname on their marriage)
• Anne, Princess Royal (until her marriage with Mark Phillips in 1973 (div. 1992), when she assumed his surname; her surname has subsequently changed again on the occasion of her marriage with Timothy Laurence in 1992)

Of course, few of these people actually use this surname, owing to the styles that are used for members of the Royal Family. For example, when the Duke of York was in the Navy, he was referred to as Lieutenant His Royal Highness, the Prince Andrew before he became the Duke of York, and Lieutenant His Royal Highness, the Duke of York afterwards - but not Lieutenant Mountbatten-Windsor.