Expert: Joseph Logue - 2/14/2006

Question
The British Monarchy family name is Windsor.  When Prince Charles becomes King will the Monarchy family name change?  

Answer
Hello Hugh,

There are two different names here to keep in mind.  One is the family name (just like yours or mine) and then there is the House name (like Tudor, Stuart, Lancaster, etc.).  Because the Queen married a man with a different last name, the issue has to be resolved.  This has caused quite a bit of speculation, but the thinking now (and it can change) is that when Charles ascends the throne, the House will still be Windsor, but the descendants of the Queen and Prince Philip will, if they are not a His or Her Royal Highness, bear the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.

The eventual use of this can be difficult to envision, since it will include going a few generations in the future.  For example, the name of "Windsor" is only now being applied to the great-grandchildren of King George V.  His sons (he had one daughter who married the Earl of Harewood), had children who are the present Duke of Gloucester, Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra of Kent (the Queen's cousins).  The children of Alexandra bear their father's name (Ogilvy), but the children of the other three bear the name "Windsor."

If you are an HRH, you do not need a surname (you are "Prince Hugh" and that is that).  It will take awhile for this to work out.  Since the children of Princes Andrew and Edward are girls, they and their children will eventually have other names, as the children of Princess Anne already do.  So, Charles and then William will become king so it won't effect them; Prince Harry will be a son of the sovereign, so his children will be HRH.  But it will be their children, the grandchildren of Prince Harry, who will be the first to have to figure out what their last name is.

This site:  http://www.heraldica.org/faqs/britfaq.html#p2-1

has an extensive and instructive answer to your question.

Remember that what we think we can expect is not always what we'll get.  When the Prince of Wales married Camilla, it was decided that she would be known as the Duchess of Cornwall, even though she is in every sense the Princess of Wales.  Similarly, when Charles becomes king, she will undoubtedly become queen, but they've decided that she will be known as the Princess Consort.

That was kind of a long-winded answer; sorry about that, but it is amazing how tricky the subject can be.  Thanks for visiting AllExperts, and come back soon!

SIncerely,

Joseph Logue