Why do monarchs change their names

This went against the wishes of his mother, Queen Victoria, she wanted him to reign as King Albert. His daughter Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was the next monarch, however when she asked what name she would like, she replied:. In the future, as Prince Charles takes his spot as head of the Monarchy, he too will have a choice. Click here to subscribe to the Royal Central newsletter. Latest posts. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume receives birthday wishes from politicians and family on 40th birthday 12th November The Festival of Remembrance: a special royal tribute 12th November King Philippe pays tribute to war fallen in homage to Unknown Soldier 12th November Victoria's eldest son was named after his father, Prince Albert , but there had always been friction between Victoria and her firstborn, and she later blamed him for the death of her beloved husband who died two weeks after a showdown with the young prince over his decadent lifestyle.

It's therefore thought that when the young Prince Albert acceded to the throne, this is why he discarded the name he'd inherited from his father and chose one of his middle names instead, to become Edward VII.

The third and final monarch who changed their name was George VI, who was also christened Albert and known as "Bertie. When his daughter Elizabeth became queen and was asked which name she would be taking, it's been said that she responded, "My own, of course.

The reason being is that Charles I was so unpopular that it led to the English Civil War and he was beheaded in , while two major disasters — the Black Death and the Great Fire of London — both occurred when Charles II was on the throne. However, it seems unlikely that as Charles nears his 70th birthday next year, he would take a different regnal name after working for decades to establish charities and other passion projects using his given name of Charles. Additionally, the majority of the country would have only ever known the queen as their head of state, and so it's likely Charles will want to promote a feeling of reassurance and stability among the people.

When Elizabeth became queen and was asked which name she would be taking, it's been said that she responded, "My own, of course. You May Also Like. How to access the Guardian and Observer digital archive. British royal family change their name to Windsor - archive Queen feared 'slur' on family. Read more.