KING Charles became King of England after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Some people have been wondering if the king has a surname and what it could be. Here’s what we know.
What is the king’s surname?
King Charles is from the house of Windsor.
His surname is Mountbatten-Windsor, as it is the adopted surname of his father, Prince Philip, linked to the name of the dynasty to which he belongs.
O Royal Family website explains: “They decided that the Queen’s descendants ‘except those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry’ could bear the name Mountbatten-Windsor.
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“The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh decided that they would like their direct descendants to be distinguished from the rest of the Royal Family (without changing the name of the Royal Household), as Windsor is the surname used by all male and unmarried female descendants of George V .”
Why don’t the Royal Family use their surnames?
Often, members of the Royal Family are not required to use their surnames.
The Royal Family website says: “Members of the Royal Family may be known by either their royal house name or a surname, which is not always the same.
Before 1917, royalty had no surname and simply went by the name of their father’s “House”, e.g. Tudor.
The late queen’s grandfather, King George V, made history when he moved the house from the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor, but he also claimed that this would be his family’s surname, a royal first.
It was changed in part due to resentment towards Germany after the First World War.
After becoming Queen in 1952, Her Majesty declared: “That I and my children will be styled and known as the house and family of Windsor, and that my descendants who marry and their descendants will bear the name of Windsor.”
But in 1960, the royal couple decided to distinguish their descendants from the rest of the royals.
This does not change the name of the royal house, which is still Windsor.
The Privy Council declared that the Queen’s descendants, when needed, would bear the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.
Often, anyone called HRH Prince or Princess does not usually require a surname, except for occasions such as official marriage registrations.
The first time the name was used was when Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips in 1973, and was later used by Prince Andrew when he got married.
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What is Prince Harry and Prince William’s last name?
When Prince Harry joined the army, he used the surname Wales.
However, he appeared to abandon this and Mountbatten-Windsor when he moved to the US.
After Prince William and Kate Middleton became Prince and Princess of Wales, their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis use “Wales” as their surname at school.
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What is the king’s official title?
Following the Queen’s death in September 2022, Charles became King immediately, however there was some speculation as to what his official title would be.
It was finally decided that his title would be King Charles III.
He could have chosen any of his four names to run for King, these being Charles, Philip, Arthur or George.
His grandfather, George VI, was the last monarch not to use his first name.
His full name was Albert Fredrick Arthur George.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
