Why doesn't the Queen of England use her last name?

Have you ever wondered what Queen Elizabeth II's last name is? Usually, both the queen and other members of the family use names only.

Picture 1 of Why doesn't the Queen of England use her last name?
Queen Elizabeth II and young Prince Philip.

This is because until the beginning of the 20th century, the Queen of England and her members had no surname at all. Instead, according to the official website of the royal family, kings and princes are known by the name of the county they rule.

The website says: 'The names of dynasties tend to change when the line of succession is taken over by a rival family faction (e.g. Henry IV and the Lancasters, Edward IV and the Yorkists, Henry VII and the Tudors), or when succession is transferred to another branch of the family through a female (e.g. Henry II and House Angevins, James I and House Stuarts, George I and House Hanoverian)' .

Picture 2 of Why doesn't the Queen of England use her last name?
The British Royal Family is celebrating Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Day.

But thanks to King George V, that changed in 1917 that when he ruled, his family and all of his descendants would have the last name Windsor. In 1960, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh wanted to distinguish their descendants from the rest of the royal family, so the descendants would be called Mountbatten-Windsor.

The website says: 'Unless the Prince of Wales chooses to change his current decisions when he becomes king, he will continue to be a member of the House of Windsor and his grandchildren will use the last name Mountbatten- Windsor'.

Queen Elizabeth II's full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary.