King Georg V, the son of King Edward VII and the grandson of Queen Victoria, began his reign as a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. On July 17, 1917, King George V issued a royal proclamation changing the name of his royal house from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor due to anti-German sentiment during World War I. Upon hearing this, George V’s first cousin Wilhelm I, German Emperor remarked that he was planning on seeing “The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha” by William Shakespeare, a play on words of the actual title “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” At the same time, relatives of King George V discarded German titles and names for anglicized versions. For instance, the name Battenberg became Mountbatten.

• Line of Succession to the British Throne

House of Windsor (1917 – present)

Family of King George V of the United Kingdom

• King George V of the United Kingdom (1865 – 1936, reigned 1910 – 1936)
• Victoria Mary of Teck, Queen Mary of the United Kingdom (1867 – 1953, wife of George V)
  • King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, later Duke of Windsor (see below)
  • King George VI of the United Kingdom (see below)
  • Princess Mary, The Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood (1897 – 1965)
  • Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1882 – 1947, husband of Mary)
    • George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood (1923 – 2011)
    • The Honourable Gerald Lascelles (1924 – 1998)
  • Prince Henry, The Duke of Gloucester (1900 – 1974)
  • Princess Alice, The Duchess of Gloucester (1901 – 2004, Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, wife of Henry)
    • Prince William of Gloucester (1941 – 1972)
    • Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester (born 1944)
    • Birgitte, The Duchess of Gloucester (born 1946, Birgitte Henriksen, wife of Richard)
  • Prince George, The Duke of Kent (1902 – 1942)
  • Princess Marina, The Duchess of Kent (1906 – 1968, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, wife of George)
    • Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent (born 1935)
    • Katharine, The Duchess of Kent (born 1933, Katharine Worsley, wife of Edward)
    • Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (born 1936)
    • The Right Honourable Sir Angus Ogilvy (1928 – 2004, husband of Alexandra)
    • Prince Michael of Kent (born 1942)
    • Princess Michael of Kent (born 1945, Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, wife of Michael)
  • Prince John of the United Kingdom (1905 – 1919)

King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom

• King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom (1894 – 1972, reigned 1936, abdicated, Duke of Windsor)
• Wallis, The Duchess of Windsor (1896 – 1986, Bessie Wallis Warfield Spencer Simpson, mistress and wife of the Duke of Windsor)

Family of King George VI of the United Kingdom

• King George VI of the United Kingdom (1895 – 1952, reigned 1936 – 1952)
• Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900 – 2002, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, wife of George VI)
  • Queen Elizabeth II (see below)
  • Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1930 – 2002)
  • Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon (1930 – 2017, husband of Margaret, divorced)
    • David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon (born 1961)
    • Lady Sarah Chatto (born 1964)

Family of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

• Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1926 – 2022, reigned 1952 – 2022)
• Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh (1921 – 2021, husband of Elizabeth II)
  • King Charles III of the United Kingdom (see below)
  • Princess Anne, The Princess Royal (born 1950)
  • Mark Phillips (born 1948, 1st husband of Anne, divorced)
    • Peter Phillips (born 1977)
    • Autumn Kelly Phillips (born 1978, former wife of Peter Phillips, divorced)
    • Zara Phillips Tindall (born 1981)
    • Mike Tindall (born 1978, husband of Zara Phillips)
  • Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence (born 1955, 2nd husband of Anne)
  • Prince Andrew, The Duke of York (born 1960)
  • Sarah, Duchess of York (born 1959, Sarah Ferguson, former wife of Andrew)
    • Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (born 1988)
    • Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (born 1983, husband of Beatrice)
    • Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank (born 1990)
    • Jack Brooksbank (born 1986, husband of Eugenie)
  • Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh (born 1964)
  • Sophie, The Duchess of Edinburgh (born 1965, Sophie Rhys-Jones, wife of Edward)
    • Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (born 2003)
    • James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex (born 2007)

Family of King Charles III of the United Kingdom

• King Charles III of the United Kingdom (reigned 2022 – present)
• Diana, Princess of Wales (1961 – 1997, Lady Diana Spencer, 1st wife of Charles III, divorced)
  • Prince William, The Prince of Wales (see below)
  • Prince Henry (Harry), The Duke of Sussex (born 1984)
  • Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (born 1981, Meghan Markle, wife of Harry)
    • Prince Archie of Sussex (born 2019)
    • Princess Lilibet of Sussex (born 2021)
• Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom (born 1947, Camilla Shand Parker-Bowles, 2nd wife of Charles III)

Family of Prince William, The Prince of Wales

• Prince William, The Prince of Wales (born 1982)
• Catherine, The Princess of Wales (born 1982, Catherine Middleton, wife of William)
  • Prince George of Wales (born 2013)
  • Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015)
  • Prince Louis of Wales (born 2018)

British Ceremonies and Events Throughout the Year

• Changing the Guard (daily)
• Chelsea Flower Show (five days in May)
• Christmas Message (December 25)
• Commonwealth Day (2nd Monday in March)
• Diplomatic Reception (usually held in December)
• Garden Parties (late spring and summer)
• Garter Day (in June, the Monday before Royal Ascot)
• Investitures (throughout the year)
• National Service of Remembrance (2nd Sunday in November or the Sunday nearest to November 11)
• Royal Ascot (June)
• Royal Maundy Service (Holy Thursday)
• State Opening of Parliament (the beginning of a new session of Parliament)
• Trooping the Colour (usually a Saturday in June)

House of Windsor Events

• British Royal Christenings: House of Windsor
• Coronations after the Norman Conquest (1066 – present)
• Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary (1912)
• Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (1937)
• Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953)
• Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla (2023)
• Death and Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
• Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
• Funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
• Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

House of Windsor Weddings

• History and Traditions: Windsor Weddings Part 1 – Children of King George V
• History and Traditions: Windsor Weddings Part 2 – Later Windsor Weddings
• Wedding of King George V and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (1893)
• Wedding of Mary, Princess Royal and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1922)
• Wedding of King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1923)
• Wedding of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece (1934)
• Wedding of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott (1935)
• Wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson (1937)
• Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Lt Philip Mountbatten, RN (1947)
• Wedding of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones (1960)
• Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips (1973)
• Wedding of King Charles III and Lady Diana Spencer (1981)
• Wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson (1986)
• Wedding of Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence (1992)
• Wedding of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones and Daniel Chatto (1994)
• Wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones (1999)
• Wedding of Lady Davina Windsor and Gary Lewis (2004)
• Wedding of King Charles III and Camilla Parker Bowles (2005)
• Wedding of Prince William, The Prince of Wales and Catherine Middleton (2011)
• Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (2018)
• Wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank (2018)
• Wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (2020)

House of Windsor Royal Relationships

• Ancestors of King Charles III
• Ancestors of Prince William, The Prince of Wales
• Ancestors of Queen Elizabeth II
• Ancestors of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
• Children, Grandchildren, Great-Grandchildren, and Great-Great-Grandchildren of King George V
• First Cousins of King George V
• First Cousins of King George VI and King Edward VIII
• First Cousins of Queen Elizabeth II
• First Cousins: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
• First Cousins of King Charles III
• First Cousins of Prince William, The Prince of Wales
• How are current European monarchs related to each other?
• Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyon: Queen Elizabeth II’s Hidden Cousins

House of Windsor Mistresses, Favorites, and Confidantes

• Anne Tennant, Baroness Glenconner, lady-in-waiting and confidante of Princess Margaret
• Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom (Camilla Shand Parker-Bowles), mistress of Charles III while Prince of Wales and later his 2nd wife
• Freda Dudley Ward, Mistress of Edward VIII when Prince of Wales
• Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness, Mistress of Edward VIII when Prince of Wales
• Margaret “Bobo” MacDonald, nanny, dresser and confidante of Queen Elizabeth II
• Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (Bessie Wallis Warfield Spencer Simpson, mistress and wife of The Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII)

House of Windsor Miscellaneous Articles

• A British Royal Christmas
• A Short Guide to The Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Are the children of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex entitled to be HRH Prince/Princess?
• Birth of the House of Windsor
• Born on the Fourth of July
• Contemporary Monarchs of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
• Death of Diana, Princess of Wales – August 31, 1997
• Death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother- March 30, 2002
• Fire seriously damages Windsor Castle – November 20, 1992
• From The Royal Box to the Service Box
• History of Peerages using Cambridge
• House of Windsor Christenings
• House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and House of Windsor Burial Sites
• Longest Reigning British Monarchs
• Princess Mary’s 1914 Christmas Gift to British Soldiers and Sailors
• Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom – Seventy Years on the Throne
• Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend
• Remembering the Platinum Queen
• The Other Lady Diana Spencers
• Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August
• Transition: The Final Months of King George VI and Accession of Queen Elizabeth II
• Westminster Hall
• What’s in a Name? – Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
• What’s in a Name? – Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
• When The British Monarch Dies

British Content Areas

• British In Memoriam
• British Orders and Honours
• British Royal Births, Marriages, Deaths, and Other Important Events
• British Royal Burial Sites
• British Royal Christenings
• British Royal Links
• British Royal Residences
• British Royal Titles and Styles
• British Royal Weddings
• Profiles of the British Royal Family
• Royal Churches: United Kingdom
• When The British Monarch Dies