Prince Harry, Princess Eugenie, Prince William, and Princess Beatrice all have a strong public image and are never far from a TV interview or public engagement. But another of the late Queen’s grandchildren (who reportedly was her favourite) has lived her life almost entirely away from the public eye, until now.
Lady Louise Windsor looked seriously chic at King Charles's Coronation today in a white floral dress and lilac fascinator. And everyone is eager to know more about her. Previously, she's kept royal appearances to a minimum, attending Kate and William’s wedding in 2011 in a horse-drawn carriage with her cousin Prince Harry and, of course, Prince Phillip and and her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II's funerals in 2022.
So, in case you're intrigued by Lady Louise Windsor, who was reportedly the Queen's favourite grandchild, here's everything you need to know:
Who is Lady Louise Windsor?
Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mountbatten-Windsor is Prince Edward and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex’s eldest daughter, making her the Queen’s grandchild and 15th in line to the throne. She was born on 8 November 2003, and has a 14-year-old brother, James, Viscount Severn.
Why isn’t Lady Louise Windsor a princess?
When Lady Louise Windsor turned 18, the public and the press were waiting for her to announce whether she would choose to claim her HRH title. When she was born, Louise’s parents decided she would be given the Lady title instead in the hope that she could live a more normal life as a child.
‘We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living,' Louise’s mother Sophie previously told The Times. ‘Hence, we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it's highly unlikely.’ There has still been some speculation that Louise may choose to become a Princess, however, after Harry and Meghan left the firm and Prince Andrew became embroiled in a sexual assault case.
What is Lady Louise Windsor’s role in the royal family?
Lady Louise Windsor gave her first public interview last year in a BBC documentary about her late grandfather Prince Phillip, who she had a close and friendly relationship with. However, it has been reported that Lady Louise’s role in the royal family could increase after she handle the interview with such poise and warmth. According to the Telegraph, she is being considered the Queen’s ‘secret weapon’ among the younger royals and may take on some duties previously intended for Prince Harry.
However, Louise’s mother Sophie told The Times she’s keen for her daughter to go to university after she worked so hard on her A-levels and it has been made clear in previous interviews that Louise is expected to work and can’t rely on her royal title to support her.
Why does Lady Louise Windsor work in a garden centre?
It's been revealed that the popular royal has been working several days a week at a garden centre over the summer for around the minimum wage, earning £6.63 per hour since finishing her A-levels in June - despite living in a £30million mansion in Bagshot Park, Surrey.
One shopper told The Sun: 'I knew the cost-of-living crisis was bad, but I didn't think I'd ever see a grandchild of the Queen working in a garden centre.'
Another customer added: 'The staff seemed to adore her. It's not every day you buy your begonias off a royal.' And a third, who was served by the royal, said: 'I couldn't believe it was Lady Louise, I had to look twice.
Where is Lady Louise Windsor going to university?
The latest royal to be taking up a place at university, Lady Louise Windsor has attended St Andrews University in Fife, Scotland since September, 2022. After receiving her A-Level results a year ago, it was confirmed she had secured a place and will be reading English.
Does Lady Louise Windsor have an eye condition?
When Lady Louise was born, her mother had an emergency caesarean due to complications and Louise was born with a condition called esotropia. Growing up, she had problems with her vision and underwent operations on her eyes at just eight months old. While the first procedure was unsuccessful, Louise later had a second in 2014 and she can now see normally, according to HELLO!
Was Lady Louise Windsor the Queen’s favourite grandchild?
There have been numerous reports from royal insiders that Lady Louise was the Queen’s favourite grandchild. A source told The Sun: 'The Queen loves the fact that Louise and [her brother] James relish their time at Balmoral, and she has become particularly close to Louise, who seems to have become her favourite grandchild, closely followed by James.’
‘Louise also endeared herself to everyone by looking after William and Kate’s children when they were up here,’ they continued. 'Louise loves drawing and sketching and was very patiently trying to get Charlotte to do pictures of rabbits and deer.'
'Because of her artistic skill, the Queen allowed Louise to look through some of the collection of Queen Victoria’s Highlands sketches, which are kept at Balmoral but are rarely dug out these days.’
Apparently, growing up, Louise always thought of the Queen as simply her grandmother and didn’t realise she was royal for years. ‘For Louise…it was much more of a shock to the system,’ her mother told the BBC. ‘It was only when she was coming home from school and saying, “Mummy, people keep on telling me that grandma is the queen.” And I asked her, “Yes, how does that make you feel?” And she said, “I don’t understand…” I don’t think she had grasped perhaps there was only one Queen.’
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