Once a prince, Andrew has seen a significant shift in his identity, losing his titles, his residence, and much of his standing. However, he has recently acquired a hyphen in his name. The former royal is now officially referred to as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, correcting the previous announcement that omitted the hyphen.

This adjustment aligns with the naming convention established by the late Queen Elizabeth II over six decades ago, which combines the regal lineage of Windsor with Mountbatten, the surname of Prince Philip, her husband. This name fusion was a symbolic gesture, reflecting both the royal heritage and familial ties.

The Windsor name traces back to King George V, who adopted it in 1917 to project a distinctly British identity. Initially, Queen Elizabeth intended to use solely the Windsor name for her descendants. This decision, however, led to discontent from Prince Philip, who lamented that he was perhaps the only man in England unable to pass his surname to his descendants.

It combines the royal family’s name of Windsor, chosen by King George V in 1917, with Mountbatten, the surname of the queen’s husband, Prince Philip.

The queen had initially decided to use Windsor alone, leading her husband to complain that he was the only man in England not allowed to give his children his name.

Elizabeth relented, and in an official declaration on February 8, 1960 – days before her son Andrew was born – said: “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 hyphen has been added after palace officials studied the 1960 declaration.

King Charles III announced on October 30 that he was removing his brother’s titles and evicting him from his royal residence near Windsor Castle over his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Pressure had been growing on the palace to oust the 65-year-old prince from his Royal Lodge home over new revelations about his friendship with Epstein and renewed attention on sexual abuse allegations by one of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, whose posthumous memoir was published last month.

The king went even further to punish Mountbatten-Windsor for serious lapses of judgment by removing the title of prince that he had held since birth.

Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied Giuffre’s allegations.