In the South, family names are a big deal. We take into careful consideration how to properly incorporate and pass down important family names. After all, below the Mason-Dixon, people take pride in their last time. Southerners love to be associated with their mama, grandpa, cousins, and everyone in between, and of course, double names are quintessentially Southern. You can’t take a trip to the grocery store without running into three Mary Beths, two Betsy Joes, and at least one Gracie Ann. In many instances, sons are named after their fathers to keep the family name alive. It’s often a Southern tradition to have a II, III, or even IV tacked on to the end of your name. Even so, the British royal family takes it to a whole new level. We may refer to them as Queen Elizabeth, Prince William, and Prince George, but the British royal family actually has a long, complicated list of regal names.
Interestingly, before the 20th century, there was no last name for the royal family. The designated dynasty or house they belonged to stood in the place of a traditional last name. In 1917, King George V declared that the royal clan’s surname would be known as Windsor. Queen Elizabeth confirmed their last name after her she took the throne. However, Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth altered the last name in 1960 after deciding they wanted their branch of the family tree to be distinguishable. It was then confirmed that the Queen’s descendants would carry the last name Mountbatten-Windsor. This choice reflected a combination of both Queen Elizabeth’s and Prince Phillip’s last names. Of course, members of the royal family are sometimes referred to by their family dynasty rather than a proper surname. For example, Prince William was originally given the last name Wales, this was the specific area his father ruled. As a student and member of the military, he was known as William Wales. He now rules over Cambridge. So, William, Kate, George and Charlotte would technically be known as a Cambridge in addition to Windsor-Mountbatten. Predictably, the names can get a little confusing. Because no official family name passes into the law of the land, they are bound to decide for themselves. They are royalty, after all...
