Lady Louise Windsor graduated from St. Andrews last week. Her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (aka Prince Edward and Sophie) attended her graduation and they looked very proud. It doesn’t look like Louise’s brother James came to her graduation, or maybe he simply wasn’t included in the photos or reporting. She earned a degree in English, and at her graduation, she did not use her title – the name used was “Louise Mountbatten-Windsor,” as opposed to Lady Louise or even Princess Louise. Technically, she could call herself “Princess Louise” because she is the granddaughter of the late QEII and that’s part of the George V Letters Patent. Louise has chosen not to take a princess title, which I’ve always found interesting.
After her graduation, her parents (via Buckingham Palace) confirmed Louise’s plans to take a post-graduate “gap year” to travel and enjoy herself “before exploring further career opportunities.” That’s also sort of interesting, because there’s growing pressure on Louise to become a working royal:
Lady Louise Windsor has graduated from St Andrew’s University with a Bachelor’s degree in English. Prince Edward and Sophie – as well as Louise’s younger brother, the Earl of Wessex – will undoubtedly be proud of Lady Louise, who has been hailed as the Royal Family’s ‘secret weapon’.
The ‘conscientious’ royal, who is believed to have been the late Queen’s favourite grandchild, is reportedly considering a career in the military – meaning her nickname as The Firm’s ‘secret weapon’ may soon materialise.
Last November, it was reported that Lady Louise had ‘fallen in love’ with army cadets alongside her university degree at St Andrews – much like her father did a generation earlier. A source told The Sun: ‘She talks about being very keen on a career in the military, serving the King and country. She is all about the Army Cadets and has fallen in love with it.’
If Lady Louise, who has kept a low profile while completing her studies, goes down the military path, she will be the first female royal since her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to do so. The King’s niece has also been compared to the late monarch due to their shared love of horses, with royal biographer Ingrid Seward noting: ‘There are shades of the young Elizabeth. There is something about her – a capability. She’s obviously a very gentle young woman.’
On the occasion of her 22nd birthday last November, royal experts suggested the ‘stylish and conscientious’ Lady Louise could be given a bigger role during Prince William’s reign – especially considering the crisis involving his disgraced uncle, former Duke of York, Andrew.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Richard Fitzwilliams noted that William – who has previously expressed his desire to ‘change’ the monarchy – will ‘undoubtedly need extra help if it wants it to continue its charitable activities at a significant level’. Considering the scandal surrounding their father has ‘cast a shadow’ over Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s future roles, Lady Louise is certainly a frontrunner to lead the younger royals, Mr Fitzwilliams continued.
‘William will have appreciated the excellent way the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh support the Firm,’ he told this newspaper. He added: ‘The signs are surely that with only four working royals currently under 70 and the Waleses’ children still young, that Lady Louise might be persuaded to carry out some royal duties in the future.’
Chief among these are Lady Louise’s ‘particularly appropriate’ course of study at William’s alma mater St Andrew’s, her desire to follow in the late Queen Elizabeth’s footsteps and pursue a military career, and her presence at numerous royal events.
‘It would certainly be in the interest of the monarchy and all of us if she [carried] out royal duties,’ Mr Fitzwilliams mused.
I used to think that Sophie and Edward probably wanted Louise to be a working royal and live that kind of life, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see them take a step back and give Louise the space to figure it out herself. She seems like a sheltered young woman who just wants to do horse stuff and maybe military stuff. If that’s the case… well, she might actually end up as some kind of semi-working royal. Who knows.
Congratulations to Lady Louise on her graduation from St Andrews University!
Lady Louise was joined by her parents, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as they celebrated the end of her degree.
University of St Andrews pic.twitter.com/2glbsZr4Rc
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 2, 2026
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images, Royal Family’s social media.
