Mountbatten-Windsor

thumb|upright|alt=Elizabeth in crown and robes next to her husband in military uniform|Coronation portrait of Elizabeth II and Philip, thumb|upright|Coat of arms of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Mountbatten-Windsor is the family surname available to and used by descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, when a surname is required. Generally, those who are entitled to, and use, the royal style HRH Prince or Princess have no need for a surname. A surname may become needed, for example to register a marriage, and for non-royal children. Mountbatten-Windsor combines Elizabeth's house name of Windsor and Prince Philip's adopted surname of Mountbatten, the name his maternal family the House of Battenberg adopted in 1917. Its use was authorised in a declaration by the Privy Council in 1960.

==Origin== Mountbatten-Windsor was created by combining the royal family's House name of Windsor and Prince Philip's adopted surname of Mountbatten—an Anglicised version of Battenberg. In 1960 the Queen declared: Whereas on the 9th day of April 1952, I did declare in Council My Will and Pleasure that I and My children shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, and that My descendants, other than female descendants who marry and their descendants, shall bear the name of Windsor: And whereas I have given further consideration to the position of those of My descendants who will enjoy neither the style, title or attribute of Royal Highness, nor the titular dignity of Prince and for whom therefore a surname will be necessary: And whereas I have concluded that the Declaration made by Me on the 9th day of April 1952, should be varied in its application to such persons: 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. The Privy Council declaration made it so that Elizabeth's descendants who bear princely titles keep the name Windsor, pursuant to a declaration she made in a previous Privy Council meeting at the beginning of her reign, while those who do not, use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. This is the case for James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex. Any female descendants who marry, and their descendants, do not hold the surname Mountbatten-Windsor; this is the case for Zara Tindall, who was born with the surname Phillips as a daughter of Anne, Princess Royal, and Mark Phillips.