Expert: Mark Smith - 5/30/2009

Question
Hi Mark.
I have heard that the Queen's name before Windsor, was Hanover, is this correct? if yes, why was her name changed And where does the name Rex come in? Why on earth do they change their surname. Oh, and what is her true Nationality? Thanks Mark.

Answer
Hello Lynn.
The name of the British Royal Family was changed in 1917 to Windsor, so the Queen was born a Windsor. Before 1917 their surname was Wettin, even though they were more commonly known as the Royal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. That came about when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert (Wettin) of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840. Before that their name was Guelph, the surname of the Royal House of Hanover.
People often confuse the name of the Royal House with their actual surname, it would be like saying the Queen's surname is Great Britain, every Royal Family has a "proper" surname even if they don't use it.
Rex is Latin for King and Regina for Queen. When you see E II R on a postbox it stands for Elizabeth II Regina.
The name was changed from Wettin to Windsor in World War I when Great Britain was at war with Germany. It was decided that they ought to drop their German surname for a more British one. Windsor was chosen from a list of suitable sounding names.
Her nationality and that of every member of the Royal Family is British.
Mark