The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term usually also applies to the group of persons who are the monarch's connections in his role as sovereign of the other Commonwealth lands, sometimes in variation with official national terms for the family. Members of the Royal Family have belonged, either by birth or by marriage, to the House of Windsor in 1917, when George V changed the name of the royal house from Saxe-Coburg to Gotha. This decision was initially made because England and its Empire were at war with Germany and given the strong German descent of the British Royal Family, it was felt that its public image could be improved by choosing a more British name for the house. The new name chosen, Windsor, had no other connection than the name of the castle that was and continues to be the royal residence.
