The name of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the former prince, could change again after the Queen’s 1960 declaration on the family surname, it is reported
08:07 ET, 11 Nov 2025Updated 08:08 ET, 11 Nov 2025
Andrew was stripped of all his titles last month following his association with Jeffrey Epstein(Image: PA)
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s name might be due for another change, this time to include a hyphen, as per the late Queen’s request. According to Royal tradition, the former prince’s family name should be written as Mountbatten-Windsor, in line with the late Queen’s 1960 Privy Council declaration that established the family surname for those descendants not holding the titles of prince or princess.
However, after his titles were stripped last month, he was reintroduced to the world as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, conspicuously missing the hyphen.
It’s speculated that Buckingham Palace will now reevaluate how to style Andrew’s name in accordance with the declaration Queen Elizabeth II signed two weeks prior to Andrew’s birth.
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The declaration read: “Now therefore I declare My Will and Pleasure that, while I and My children shall continue to be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, My descendants other than descendants enjoying the style, title or attribute of Royal Highness and the titular dignity of Prince or Princess and female descendants who marry and their descendants shall bear the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.”, reports the Mirror.
The Mountbatten-Windsor name was chosen to incorporate Philip Mountbatten’s surname into the Windsor lineage(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
This name was chosen to incorporate Philip Mountbatten’s surname into the Windsor lineage, a symbolic gesture reflecting the Queen’s marriage and the ongoing connection between her family and her husband’s.
Prince Harry’s children, Archie and Lilibet, along with the rest of the Royal family, now use the hyphenated surname Mountbatten-Windsor, as per the official declaration.
This was evident in Princess Anne’s 1973 marriage certificate where her full name is listed as Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, a Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Royal historian and author, Ian Lloyd, expressed surprise that Buckingham Palace had ever published any Royal name without a hyphen, considering the “historic precedent” and the legal language of the Queen’s notice.
Prince Andrew became the first Royal baby officially registered with the Mountbatten-Windsor surname(Image: PA)
Prince Andrew, born just days after the document was signed, became the first Royal baby officially registered with the Mountbatten-Windsor surname.
However, this hasn’t been reflected following the stripping of his titles and honors due to allegations of sexual abuse against Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by Epstein.
Andrew has vehemently denied these accusations.
Recent revelations show that the former prince had emailed Epstein in 2011 stating “we’re in this together”, three months after he claimed to have severed all ties with the disgraced financier.
This week, Andrew’s behavior could be discussed by MPs for the first time, with the Liberal Democrats planning to bring up his Royal Lodge rental arrangements, including details about any payout for vacating the property, when the Commons reconvenes on Tuesday.