Re: Princess Diana's Last Name

[Bonnie Fulmer <GBF1@MARISTB.MARIST.EDU>]

Just to clarify the clarification....

>Just to clarify, Diana was "Her Royal Highness, Princess of Wales" before
>the divorce. The Queen stripped her of the "Her Royal Highness" title as
>part of the divorce settlement, but she was permitted to keep the
>"Princess of Wales".
This part is completely correct.


>Thus she was addressed Princess Diana.

This seems like a technicality to us Americans, but this part is
NOT correct.  She is Diana, Princess of Wales, but NOT
Princess Diana.  She lost the right to use Princess in front
of her name when she was stripped of the HRH.  I have been
following the discussion of this in excruciating detail on the
newsgroup alt.talk.royalty ever since the divorce last year.
However, most newscasters do not understand the fine distinction,
and continue to incorrectly call her Princess Diana.  (And I
hope it drives the Queen crazy!)

Additionally, although the royal family are members of the
House of Windsor, Windsor is not their last name.  As a matter
of fact, they were originally of the House of Hanover.  Due to
hostilities with Germany, in 1917 King George V issued a proclamation
changing the official name of the royal family from Hanover to Windsor.
(Hanover was unmistakably German, and they wanted to distance
themselves from Germany, in spite of BEING German themselves.)
They tossed around a lot of possibilities, finally settling
on Windsor because it sounded British and had no negative
connotations.  But neither Hanover nor Windsor is a last name.
As Dan Robinson pointed out, royalty does not have last names, only
numerals.  For example, Prince Philip was born simply Prince
Philip of Greece.  (no last names there, either!)  His family was
exiled, and eventually he became a British subject before marrying
Queen (then Princess) Elizabeth, taking the last name of Mountbatten.
He pitched a fit when his children were born and were NOT
given the last name of Mountbatten, but the Queen held firmly
to tradition.  (He pitched a fit when she wouldn't make him a King
Consort, too, but that's another story.)  If you look at official
papers, you will not find last names.  Official papers are signed simply
Elizabeth R, Charles, Diana, etc.
     I hope this clarifies, and doesn't confuse!


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