Prince Charles Last Name: Understanding the Royal Lineage

Prince Charles, the heir apparent to the British throne, is well-known by his given name. But what about his last name? Does he even have one? While most individuals have a surname, members of the British Royal Family have a unique naming tradition. Understanding Prince Charles' last name requires exploring the history of the monarchy and the customs that govern it. This article will delve into the intricacies of royal naming practices and uncover the origins of the last name associated with Prince Charles.
1. **Mountbatten-Windsor**: This last name was adopted by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1960 for their children. It is a combination of the last names of their respective families, Mountbatten (Philip's maternal family) and Windsor (Elizabeth's family).
2. **Windsor**: The royal family's last name has been Windsor since 1917 when King George V changed it from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. This change was made to distance the family from Germany during World War I.
3. **Saxe-Coburg and Gotha**: The royal family's last name before 1917. It reflects the origins of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, who was a member of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
4. **Wales**: This is the traditional title given to the heir apparent to the British throne. It is not a last name, but rather a title of honor that designates the heir as the Prince of Wales.
5. **Charles Philip Arthur George**: This is Prince Charles' full given name. While he does not use a surname in the traditional sense, he is sometimes referred to by his full name.
6. **Mountbatten**: This was the surname of Prince Philip's maternal family. They were a prominent German family who adopted the surname Mountbatten in 1858.
7. **Windsor**: The surname of Queen Elizabeth II's family. It was adopted in 1917 and is still used by the royal family.
8. **Saxe-Coburg**: The surname of the German dynasty that included Albert, Prince Consort to Queen Victoria.
9. **Gotha**: The surname of another German dynasty connected to the Saxe-Coburg family.
10. **George**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-grandfather, King George V, who adopted the Windsor surname.
11. **Elizabeth**: The first name of Prince Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who was the first monarch to use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.
12. **Philip**: The first name of Prince Charles' father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was born a Prince of Greece and Denmark.
13. **Arthur**: The first name of Prince Charles' grandfather, King George VI, who reigned during World War II.
14. **Albert**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-grandfather, Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.
15. **Victoria**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who reigned for over 63 years.
16. **Frederick**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-grandfather, Prince Albert's father, who was a Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
17. **Louise**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria's mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
18. **Edward**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII, who was the son of Queen Victoria.
19. **Alexandra**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria's mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
20. **Ernest**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-grandfather, Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
21. **George**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, George III, King of Great Britain and Ireland.
22. **Charlotte**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen consort of George III.
23. **Frederick**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Frederick, Prince of Wales, the father of George III.
24. **Augusta**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess of Wales, the mother of George III.
25. **George**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, George II, King of Great Britain and Ireland.
26. **Caroline**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Caroline of Ansbach, Queen consort of George II.
27. **Frederick**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Frederick I, King in Prussia.
28. **Sophia**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Queen consort of George I.
29. **George**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, George I, King of Great Britain and Ireland.
30. **Sophia**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress Sophia of Hanover.
31. **Ernest**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover.
32. **Sophia**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Sophia of the Palatinate, Queen consort of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover.
33. **Frederick**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Frederick V, Elector Palatine.
34. **Elizabeth**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia.
35. **James**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, King James I of England and VI of Scotland.
36. **Anne**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Anne of Denmark, Queen consort of James I.
37. **Mary**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Mary, Queen of Scots.
38. **Henry**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Henry VIII, King of England.
39. **Catherine**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Catherine of Aragon, Queen consort of Henry VIII.
40. **Arthur**: The first name of Prince Charles' great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, King Arthur, a legendary British king who is said to have ruled in the 6th century.