Royal Decree Shaped Prince Andrew‘s Surname: Mountbatten-Windsor
LONDON – Prince Andrew’s full surname,Mountbatten-Windsor,is a direct result of a decision made by Queen Elizabeth II in 1960 to address concerns raised by Prince Philip about their children’s lineage. The Queen’s decree,issued just days before Andrew’s birth on February 19,1960,allowed for a hyphenated surname for descendants not styled as “royal highness” or granted the title of prince or princess.
Prior to this,the Queen had decided in 1952 that the royal family’s surname would remain windsor,despite Philip’s surname being Mountbatten. Philip reportedly expressed his frustration, stating, “I’m just a bloody amoeba,” adn lamenting that he would be the only man in the country whose children wouldn’t bear his name.
The Queen responded with a concession, formalized on February 8, 1960. The official declaration stated that descendants, “othre than descendants enjoying the style title or attribute of royal highness and the titular dignity of prince or princess, and female descendants who marry and their descendants, shall bear the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.”
This surname continues to be used by members of the royal family who require a surname, and is currently listed on the royal family’s official website.
