Last week, Lady Louise Windsor went to the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which is an annual event on the greater Windsor Castle complex. Louise and her parents, Prince Edward and Sophie, are regulars at this particular horse show. For years, Louise has been a competitive carriage driver, which is something the late Prince Philip loved, and he taught his granddaughter how to do it. While some British outlets talked about Louise at the horse show, you can tell that the photos didn’t get the kind of attention Sophie wanted them to get. Louise is now 22 years old, and will graduate from St. Andrews shortly. Louise’s parents want her to be part of the Firm in some way, and they’re doing all they can to rebrand her as the latest “secret weapon.” Like secret-weapon mother, like secret-weapon daughter, I suppose. From the Daily Mail:
With an age gap of 14 years between her and her next cousin, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise has always been something of a ‘lonely’ figure in the Royal Family. Peter and Zara, Harry and William and Beatrice and Eugenie are all much closer in age. They’re all parents entering, or already middle aged, while Louise is still at university.
However, Sophie and Edward’s daughter has quietly been forging her own path in The Firm, and it’s certainly started to pay off. Just last week, she had been working as an event organiser at the Royal Windsor Horse Show – and was pictured wearing a hi-vis vest while helping her father Prince Edward with directions.
Officials praised the ‘hard-working’ royal and said she was a ‘real asset’ to the team, while royal fans have long admired her down-to-earth nature and passion for carriage driving, which she shared with the late Prince Philip.
Indeed, Lady Louise has never put a foot wrong, and if King Charles is looking for extra pairs of hands to assist with royal duties in the future, he could do no better than his youngest niece.
It’s a position that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie can now only dream of. Tainted by their parents’ association with Jeffrey Epstein, it’s unlikely that Charles will be turning to either of them in the near future – although he is said to remain privately very supportive of his two nieces.
There are also intriguing signs that Lady Louise has developed a bond with Kate – who is known to keep her distance from the York sisters. Last week she was seen wearing a royal hand-me-down from the Princess of Wales herself – a Holland and Cooper jumper Kate wore for her appearance on CBeebies. Louise, who is currently a student, even went to the same university as William and Kate, and is in the fourth year of her English Literature at St. Andrews University. The royal couple have long held a fondness for Louise, who was a bridesmaid at their 2011 wedding. And when William becomes King, he would be well prepared with one of the Royal Family’s most treasured ‘secret weapons’ at his side.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, PR expert Riley Gardiner said she is likely to be trusted by the heir. ‘Lady Louise is increasingly seen as one of the more dependable younger royals mostly because she’s managed to avoid the drama and public controversies that have affected other parts of the family, and that kind of consistency builds trust over time. Prince William has always seemed focused on protecting the monarchy’s reputation and keeping the institution stable, so people who are discreet, measured, and media-safe are likely to become especially valuable to him.’
This reads like Edward and Sophie are still sucking up to William and Kate. That seems to be the Edinburghs’ special project for the past four years or so – to ensure that they’re seen as vital to Will & Kate. And now they’re offering up their daughter to the royal grind, at least that’s how it looks. Please… William doesn’t actually want any of his cousins to work. William wants to transform the monarchy into an email-and-tweet job for himself and his wife. But sure, Louise will be around, somewhere in the background. My question: once Louise graduates from St. Andrews, will she be given any kind of royal lodging? Will she get an apartment or a cottage somewhere?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
