--- title: The Royal House of Windsor in Britain: Rebranding the Crown - From Saxe-Coburg to Windsor author: Simeon Netchev source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17770/the-royal-house-of-windsor-in-britain/ format: machine-readable-alternate license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) updated: 2026-02-16 --- # The Royal House of Windsor in Britain: Rebranding the Crown - From Saxe-Coburg to Windsor _Authored by [Simeon Netchev](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/simeonnetchev/)_ ## Image File [![The Royal House of Windsor in Britain: Rebranding the Crown - From Saxe-Coburg to Windsor](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/17770.png)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/17770.png) ## Image Caption The House of Windsor represents the modern phase in the long dynastic evolution of the British monarchy, reflecting how royal identity adapted to political pressure, public opinion, and national crisis. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, [Britain](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Britain/)’s ruling family was dynastically German in origin, despite reigning over a global British [Empire](https://www.worldhistory.org/empire/). This tension between lineage and national identity became increasingly significant as mass politics, nationalism, and total [war](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/) reshaped the relationship between monarchy and society. The transition began with [Queen Victoria](https://www.worldhistory.org/Queen_Victoria/) (reigned 1837–1901), the last monarch of the House of Hanover. Her son Edward VII (reigned 1901–1910) inherited the throne through his father, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, formally placing Britain under that German dynasty. During World War I (1914–1918), however, intense anti-German sentiment made the name politically untenable. In response, George V (reigned 1910–1936) issued a Royal Proclamation on 17 July 1917, renaming the dynasty the House of Windsor. This symbolic act severed overt German associations, reinforced loyalty to the British nation during wartime, and marked a decisive shift toward a consciously national monarchy, one defined less by dynastic inheritance and more by public legitimacy and constitutional continuity. #### Editorial Review This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/). ## About the Author Simeon is a freelance visual designer and history educator, passionate about the human stories that shape the past. - [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/simeon-netchev/) ## Cite This Work ### APA Netchev, S. (2023, August 23). The Royal House of Windsor in Britain: Rebranding the Crown - From Saxe-Coburg to Windsor. *World History Encyclopedia*. ### Chicago Netchev, Simeon. "The Royal House of Windsor in Britain: Rebranding the Crown - From Saxe-Coburg to Windsor." *World History Encyclopedia*, August 23, 2023. . ### MLA Netchev, Simeon. "The Royal House of Windsor in Britain: Rebranding the Crown - From Saxe-Coburg to Windsor." *World History Encyclopedia*, 23 Aug 2023, . ## License & Copyright Submitted by [Simeon Netchev](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/simeonnetchev/ "User Page: Simeon Netchev"), published on 23 August 2023. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0deed.en). This licence only allows others to download this content and share it with others as long as the author is credited, but they can't change the content in any way or use it commercially. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.