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How did the House of Windsor originate?

The House of Windsor, the name of the twentieth-century royal family of Great Britain, originated with Prince Albert (1819–1861), the husband of Queen Victoria (1819–1901). Albert was the son of Ernest I, the duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha; the family name was Wettin, and they lived in present-day Germany. Victoria and Albert had nine children; their oldest son, Albert Edward (1841–1910), became king upon Victoria's death in 1901. He established the House of Saxe-Coburg, which was named for his father. Albert Edward reigned for only nine years, until his death in 1910. His son, George V (1865–1936), then ascended the throne. George was king during World War I (1914–18), a conflict in which Great Britain and its allies fought against Germany and the Central Powers. In 1917 George renounced his ties to Germany, rejecting the family name and establishing the House of...

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