As anti-German sentiment grew in Britain during World War I, the royal family's obvious connections to Germany came increasingly under fire. On 17 July 1917, George V issued a Proclamation declaring the name, to be borne by his majesty's royal house and family, and relinquishing all German titles.
The new name for the royal house previously known as 'Saxe-Coburg-Gotha' was 'Windsor' – a word, selected after careful consideration, that was redolent of all things English. And for a while the rebranding worked. Across the Channel, the great imperial houses came crashing down, but in Britain, the monarchy sailed serenely on, apparently untroubled by the advent of democracy, secure in the affection and respect of the nation.
Elizabeth II confirmed the royal Windsor name in a declaration following her accession in 1952. But in February 1960, she and her husband announced yet another name change. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, whose mother had been Alice of Battenberg, had already anglicised his name to 'Philip Mountbatten' when he had taken the Oath of Allegiance and had become naturalised in 1947, before marrying Elizabeth. In her 1960 declaration to the Privy Council, the queen expressed her wish that her children by Philip would henceforth bear the hyphenated name 'Mountbatten-Windsor'. The royal house's official name would, however, remain 'Windsor'.
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 Royal arms, styles and titles of Great Britain: Documents
www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/britsty
les.htm#1917
Contains the text of the Proclamation of 1917.
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