The Windsor Family, whose roots come from an obscure part of Germany, became the ultimate British royal family through a series of uniquely shrewd steps through the lives of aristocrats and British nobility.
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“Old Money” To Royalty: Princess Diana & The Spencer-Churchill Family:
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The “Old Money” British Family That Owns Half Of London (NOT The Windsors):
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
1:50 Chapter 1: The Anglo-German Legacy
6:40 Chapter 2: The Holy Roman Windsors
9:52 Chapter 3: From Belgium To Britain
13:43 Chapter 4: Becoming “English”
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In the summer of 1917, amid World War I’s fervor, the British royal family underwent a transformative change.
King George V, responding to rising anti-German sentiment exacerbated by wartime tensions and a recent tragic bombing by German forces, issued a proclamation renouncing all German titles and dignities.
The royal family’s name was changed from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the distinctly British ‘House of Windsor,’ a strategic move to align the monarchy with national sentiment and distance it from its Germanic roots.
This decision was emblematic of the complex, intertwined history of the English and German peoples.
The shared lineage dates back to ancient Germanic tribes such as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, who migrated to Britain and laid the early foundations of English culture and language.
Linguistically, English and German share significant similarities due to these historical ties, with many common words and grammatical structures.
Politically, the connection was further solidified with the Hanoverian succession to the British throne in the 18th century, marking a period of direct German lineage in British royalty that continued until Queen Victoria.
The royal family’s German connections were not merely a backdrop but played a pivotal role throughout its history.
The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, to which they originally belonged, was deeply embedded in the Holy Roman Empire’s aristocracy, with roots tracing back to the 10th-century noble Theodoric of Vettin.
This lineage wielded considerable influence across central Europe, shaping the region’s political and cultural landscape over centuries.
Queen Victoria’s marriage to her German cousin Prince Albert brought the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha name into the British royal family.
Albert’s impact on British society was significant, advocating for various social reforms and helping to modernize the monarchy.
Their children’s marriages to other European royals spread their influence further, embedding the family across the continent.
However, as World War I raged, the British public’s wariness of this German heritage grew, culminating in King George V’s decision to rebrand the royal family as the Windsors.
This change was not only symbolic but also a practical move to reaffirm the monarchy’s loyalty to Britain amidst widespread anti-German sentiment.
The new name, Windsor, was chosen for its quintessentially British connotation, linking the royal family to one of its most iconic residences.
Today, the House of Windsor embodies a blend of British tradition with a backdrop of German ancestry, a testament to centuries of dynastic marriages and geopolitical alliances that have shaped its legacy.
Despite the initial rebranding efforts to Anglicize their image, modern members of the royal family, like King Charles III, continue to acknowledge and celebrate their German roots through cultural exchanges and personal engagements.