<P> Edward VII and , in turn , his son , George V , were members of the German ducal House of Saxe - Coburg and Gotha by virtue of their descent from Albert , Prince Consort , husband of Queen Victoria . High anti-German sentiment amongst the people of the British Empire during World War I reached a peak in March 1917 , when the Gotha G. IV , a heavy aircraft capable of crossing the English Channel , began bombing London directly and became a household name . In the same year , on 15 March , King George 's first cousin , Nicholas II , the Emperor of Russia , was forced to abdicate , which raised the spectre of the eventual abolition of all the monarchies in Europe . The King and his family were finally convinced to abandon all titles held under the German Crown and to change German titles and house names to anglicised versions . Hence , on 17 July 1917 , a royal proclamation issued by George V declared : </P>
<P> Edward VII and , in turn , his son , George V , were members of the German ducal House of Saxe - Coburg and Gotha by virtue of their descent from Albert , Prince Consort , husband of Queen Victoria . High anti-German sentiment amongst the people of the British Empire during World War I reached a peak in March 1917 , when the Gotha G. IV , a heavy aircraft capable of crossing the English Channel , began bombing London directly and became a household name . In the same year , on 15 March , King George 's first cousin , Nicholas II , the Emperor of Russia , was forced to abdicate , which raised the spectre of the eventual abolition of all the monarchies in Europe . The King and his family were finally convinced to abandon all titles held under the German Crown and to change German titles and house names to anglicised versions . Hence , on 17 July 1917 , a royal proclamation issued by George V declared : </P>
who changed the royal family name to windsor
who changed the royal family name to windsor
George V
George V