<P> Mountbatten - Windsor is the personal surname used by some of the male - line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh . Under a declaration made in Privy Council in 1960, the name Mountbatten - Windsor applies to male - line descendants of the Queen without royal styles and titles . Individuals with royal styles do not usually use a surname, but some descendants of the Queen with royal styles have used Mountbatten - Windsor when a surname was required . </P> <P> The British monarchy now asserts that the name Mountbatten - Windsor is used by members of the Royal Family who do not have a surname, when a surname is required . For example, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Princess Anne, Princess Royal, children of the Queen, used the surname Mountbatten - Windsor in official marriage registry entries . Likewise, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, used the name when filing a French lawsuit related to the pictures of his topless wife published by the French magazine Closer . </P>

Where does the name mountbatten windsor come from