From ‘Saxe-Coburg and Gotha’ to ‘House of Windsor’
Today, 17th of July, marks 102 years since King George V, frightened by the depth of anti-German sentiment at the height of the Great War, created the “House of Windsor”. The king cleverly anglicised the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasty to the steely British name, taking their name and legacy from the castle that had been built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. George V was dutiful, diligent, and discreet, while essentially conservative (never had a mistress and remained faithful and devoted to his wife), he had been prepared to depart from tradition when his Kingdom’s survival demanded it. George V did this in creating the new House and in his role in the Great War. His first born, Edward VIII’s brief reign (only 326 days — thanks to Wallis Simpson) was fraught with scandal, but George VI picked up the shattered pieces left by his brother, and did well most especially during the Second World War.
Sadly, his daughter Queen Elizabeth II has seen not just the demise of the Empire but also the continuous spiritual and moral decline of the country. She not only modernised her family but also her reign. When the Queen’s consort, Prince Philip, sought to have his paternity recognised in their children’s names, her grandmother, Queen Mary, was horrified and went to Churchill for advice. Philip apparently wanted the ‘House of Edinburgh’ (since it did reflect the Dukedom invested in him by George VI) which is indeed an odd choice for a descendant of the ‘House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg’. The royal family and the Churchill government did not grant The Duke’s wishes; and while the current members of the royal family recognise their paternity ‘Mountbatten-Windsor’ whenever they use a surname, the House remains solidly a “Windsor.”
Incredibly today also marks the 72nd birthday of the Duchess of Cornwall, the woman who the House of Windsor thought would destroy it. But, at least in the eyes of her husband, Prince Charles, she’s the perfect partner. Gyles Brandreth says in his book Charles and Camilla that ‘Camilla and her family without question, belonged to the upper class.’ Her mother Rosalind was the daughter of 3rd Baron Ashcombe, a descendant of Tom Cubbitt, the English master builder of the Victorian era, notable for developing many of the historic streets and squares, while her mother, Sonia, was the daughter of Alice Keppel, the famous ‘La Favorita’ (favourite mistress) of King Edward VII. Other historians also consider Camilla of remarkable resemblance with her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel. It was said that not only her looks but her manner and habits is very much like Alice Keppel. And interestingly, Tina Brown claims, in her book ‘The Diana Chronicles’ that, and I quote: “If you slapped an Edwardian-style picture hat on the head of Camilla Parker Bowles you would be struck by her resemblance to Prince Charles’s adored nanny, Mabel Anderson.”
With the current state of the British monarchy (and the country that sadly has gone to the 🐕 🐩 🐶), perhaps King George V’s rolling over in his grave.😂 Or may be on his deathbed he did warn his descendants, “You better straighten yourselves out, or I’d raise from the dead and die all over again if I had to!”😂
(Featured Image of King George V and Queen Mary: NPG)