Why do Princes William & Harry use 'Wales' as their surname as opposed to 'Windsor'?

Question

Why do Princes William & Harry use 'Wales' as their surname as opposed to 'Windsor'?

Answer 1

They have only used it in their military roles, where they need something snappy, and their official titles would be cumbersome, and probably an embarrassment. Have you never read the Victorian novels where Captain The Honourable Viscount Charles of Malmesbury gets shot before the person addressing him by name gets round to telling him to duck?



They actually have a choice - they could have opted for Windsor, or Mountbatten-Windsor, but may have chosen Wales as both easy to use, well known, and not so obviously "royal." When William joined the forces, he didn't have the Cambridge title, or the ones that go with it, so that wasn't then an option.

Answer 2

Windsor was created as a surname by Royal Proclamation in 1917 (and for the information of other answerers, it IS a surname - whether King George V intended to do that or not, rather than simply change the name of the royal House to Windsor, the way the Proclamation is worded does create a surname).



By further Proclamations, Queen Elizabeth II has stated that the name will stay as Windsor even though it should end after her and become the House of Mountbatten, Prince Philip's adopted surname. People in the family without the title of HRH are Mountbatten-Windsor.



However, her children have all used Mountbatten-Windsor on marriage certificates, though this is not correct. I suspect this is to be nice to Dad, who complained that he was the only man in the country not allowed to give his own name to his own children. To avoid this family issue is very likely why William and Harry went for the other obvious choice. They are princes of Wales, so they can use that.

Answer 3

Because Wales is Wales and Windsor is a drop off point for tourist coaches.

Answer 4

They take their name from their father,he is the prince of wales,so harry is known as HRH Harry of wales,william is known as the duke of cambridge,when his father becomes king he will be HRH the prince of wales,the royals can more or less choose what they call themselves,if they fancy a change the queen just gives them a title.They do not have a fixed surname like the rest of us.

Answer 5

Because their father is the Prince of Wales.



Until Prince Charles was made Prince of Wales, he was Prince Charles of Edinbugh, and his sister the Princess Royal is still The Princess Anne of Edinburgh.



Similarly Prince William is 'of Wales', as is Prince Henry.



The dynastic name is Windsor (changed in 1917 by George V) - the family surname, should they need it, is Mounbatten-Windsor which was devised for any members of the family who don't have a royal title. But for the most part they don't have surnames like everyone else - since you are hardly going to muddle them up with anyone. William can also use Cambridge, Strathearn, or Carrickfergus - all titles he holds.



However for military purposes when they have been serving personnel, a 'surname' is useful and Wales has been used.

Answer 6

The Royal family are all from the house of Windsor however it is then subdivided into other names

Wales, Cambridge, York, Wessex, Gloucester and Kent. William is now Cambridge not Wales you don't hear reference to Prince George of Wales, no he is Prince George of Cambridge - Cambridge after his father.



Christian names re-occur several times in the royal family such as

Prince GEORGE

of Kent 1902 -1942 the Queen's uncle

of Wales then of York then of Cornwall and York then His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Duke of Rothesay then His Majesty The King George V the Queen's grandfather

of Cambridge the Queen.s Great Grandson



Prince HENRY

of Gloucester 1900 - 1974 the Queen's uncle

of Wales the Queen's Grandson



Prince William

of Gloucester 1941 -1972 the Queen's cousin

of Cambridge the Queen's grandson

So as you can see if they all used the name of Windsor - life would be even more confusing.

Answer 7

Royals use TITLE NAMES more than surnames. Title names identify which branch of the family the member is from. Charles is Prince of Wales and his boys used Wales in school and the military. William was recently given his own peerage title. William's branch of the family now use his title name, Cambridge, from his title, Duke of Cambridge, to differentiate themselves from the others.



The family surname Mountbatten-Windsor or Windsor is used rarely by those who have titles.



EDIT: The British Royal Family LEGALLY adopted a surname in 1917!

http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/TheRoyalFamilyname/Overview.aspx

...In 1917, there was a radical change, when George V specifically adopted Windsor, not only as the name of the 'House' or dynasty, but also as the surname of his family. ..At a meeting of the Privy Council on 17 July 1917, George V declared that 'all descendants in the male line of Queen Victoria, who are subjects of these realms, other than female descendants who marry or who have married, shall bear the name of Windsor'. ..

in 1960, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh decided that they would like their own direct descendants to be distinguished from the rest of the Royal Family (without changing the name of the Royal House), as Windsor is the surname used by all the male and unmarried female descendants of George V.



It was therefore declared in the Privy Council that The Queen's descendants, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry, would carry the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.

Answer 8

The clue is that their father is Prince of Wales

Answer 9

Because their father is the Prince of Wales. The Duke of Lancaster or the Duke of Nottingham for example could just be called "Lancaster" and "Nottingham" respectively. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington is often refereed to as "Wellington" or "the Duke of Wellington", even though that wasn't his "name".

Answer 10

because technically any one with a royal title does not have a surname. There house is called Winsdor but legally they have no surname. Members who decend from the queen who have no royal title use the surname Mountbatten-Winsdor. When there serving in the arm forces or have to have one they used wales as thats their fathers title.

Answer 11

It's a shorter word and therefore easier to remember.



Mercury : The Prince of Wales is father of one of them.

Answer 12

The aristocratic families to which their friends belong have always giggled at the royal's use of the fake name "Windsor".