The Truth About The Royal Family, Their German Heritage, And Their Ties To Nazis

On May 6, 2023, around 2,000 people attended and witnessed the coronation of King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla. While only about 10 million Americans tuned in to watch the ceremony (80% of whom were over 55 years old), it would be silly to deny that many people in this country are fascinated with the royal family. Yet, despite our tendency to read about the latest gossip on Megan Markle's purported "narcissism" or Prince William’s alleged affair, we completely overlook one crucial aspect of the family that may change how we view them forever: their Nazi affiliations. 

Why the Royal Family Changed Their Name to Windsor From Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

It’s not a conspiracy theory. The British royal family indeed changed their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917 – during World War I, to be exact – to seemingly hide their German roots. 

The Saxe-Coburg-Gotha name entered the British Royal family in 1840 thanks to Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Queen Victoria was actually the last monarch of the House of Hanover, and when she died in 1901, the royal family decided to take Prince Albert's surname. Their son, Edward VII, reigned as king until 1910.

At the height of World War I, King Edward VII's son, King George V, changed the family name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor to have a more "English-sounding" title. The reason was due to the xenophobia Germans faced – or so we’re often told. I, and many others, believe there may have been a far more sinister reason for this concealment. 

The Royal Family and the Nazis

In a grainy, black-and-white video captured long ago, the late Queen Elizabeth II is seen in the gardens of Balmoral Castle. It initially seems cute and innocent until the once-little Elizabeth lifts her right arm to perform a Nazi salute with her family. The 17-second clip was enough to fuel outrage in the U.K., with commenters alleging that it was an out-of-context video, and even Buckingham Palace has condemned the footage. "Most people will see these pictures in their proper context and time. This is a family playing and momentarily referencing a gesture many would have seen from contemporary news reels,” a Palace source said. "No one at that time had any sense how it would evolve. To imply anything else is misleading and dishonest."

Prince Harry’s Nazi Costume, Dancing with Friends Wearing Blackface 

In Prince Harry's new memoir, the Duke of Sussex alleges that his brother, Prince William, and his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, told him to wear a Nazi costume at a dress party in 2005. Like Queen Elizabeth's infamous Nazi salute, Prince Harry's costume was obtained and published by The Sun. “I am very sorry if I have caused any offense,” Prince Harry said when he was only 20. “It was a poor choice of costume, and I apologize.”

In the memoir, Harry recalled choosing between a pilot and a Nazi. “I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought. Nazi uniform, they said,” Harry claimed, adding that when he tried it on for them, “They both howled. Worse than Willy’s leotard outfit! Way more ridiculous! Which, again, was the point.”

Prince Philip’s Sisters Loved Nazis 

Queen Elizabeth II isn’t the only one rumored to have ties to fascist regimes. Strangely, her husband, Prince Philip, had several Nazi brothers-in-law. His older sisters, Margarita, Cecilie, and Sophie married German princes and moved to Germany. His other sibling, Theodora, seemed to be the only one who wasn’t into Nazi men.

Cecile joined the party with her husband, George Donatous, and their pairing might be why the 16-year-old Philip was once pictured standing alongside Nazi soldiers.

Philip's younger sister, Sophie, got hitched to Christoph von Hessen, the director of the Third Reich's Ministry of Air Forces. She praised Hitler in her memoir, writing, “I have to say here, that, although Chri [Prince Christoph] and I changed our political view fundamentally some years later, we were impressed by this charming and seemingly modest man, and by his plans to change and improve the situation in Germany.” The couple named their eldest son, Karl Adolf, after the dictator. 

Edward VIII Vacationed with Hitler 

But let’s go back to Queen Elizabeth for a second – did you know that she wouldn’t have been a queen if it weren’t for her uncle, Edward VIII? In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated to marry twice-divorced Wallis Warfield Simpson, making Elizabeth's father the king, and putting her next in line for the throne.

Edward VIII is described as a “traitor” after unearthed documents suggest he worked with the Nazis during World War II. In 1937, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor vacationed in Germany as the Nazi regime took control of the country. "This would be all over the world – photographs of Wallis and Edward with Hitler," historian Jane Ridley says in the documentary, Edward VIII: Britain's Traitor King. "This would be acutely embarrassing and unacceptable [to the royal family]."

A letter from Edward VIII to Hitler was found by another researcher, suggesting the two had close ties. "It's written in German, but the translation reads, 'To the Führer and [Chancellor], the Duchess of Windsor and I would like to thank you sincerely. Our trip through Germany has made a great impression on us. Many thanks to you for the wonderful time that we had with you at the Obersalzberg," says Andrew Lownie, author of Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor. It’s alleged that the Duke gave Hitler secret information on France, which likely helped him to conquer the country.

Princes Charles Edward Becomes Obergruppenführer

Prince Charles Edward (Karl-Eduard), George V's first cousin (the grandfather to Queen Elizabeth II), decided to support the German Empire once World War I broke out. Because of this, George V deemed him a traitor and removed him from the Most Noble Order of the Garter and stripped him of his royal titles. In 1922, Edward met Adolf Hitler and joined the Nazi Party a decade later. He rose to the ranks, obtaining the title of "'Obergruppenführer," or senior group leader. He was eventually placed under house arrest after his involvement in World War II and imprisoned until 1946 after being charged with crimes against humanity. 

Perhaps the royal family – and our current leaders in the U.S. – should be more open about their past. Dr. Karina Urbach from the Institute of Historical Research said the royal family has been suppressing their history by censoring vital information that shows us the monarchy's dark side. “This is information that should have been in the public domain 50 years ago,” she said. “The royal archives contain matters of state. The role of the monarch is not a purely personal matter. We no longer have the divine right of kings.”

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