In 1917, King George V of Britain changed the name of his royal house to Windsor, from which previous name?

In 1917, King George V changed the royal family name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor because of anti-German feelings during the First World War. He chose the name Windsor after the castle of the same name. The British Royal Family have no surnames, only the name of the House or dynasty to which they belong. Royal children usually take the name of their 'House' from their father. This is why Queen Victoria's son, Edward VII, belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the house of his German father. Likewise, Edward's son, George V also belonged to the same House.

This rule changed with the present monarch, Elizabeth II. When prompted to change the name of the royal house to Mountbatten, the surname of her husband, she refused. Yet, she and the late Prince Philip agreed that all their descendants could use the name Mountbatten-Windsor.

Windsor is also the name of a town in Berkshire, as well as the name of a castle that has stood for over a thousand years. Therefore, it is a name that holds a long association with the British monarchy. English (and later British) monarchs have used Windsor Castle as a home since Henry I in the 12th century.