Lady Louis reveals off expertise at British Carriage Driving Championships

Lady Louise Windsor showed she’s continuing the royal family’s famed sporting prowess this weekend as she competed at the British Carriage Driving National Championships. 

With the help of her trusty steed Balmoral Phantom, the 20-year-old niece of the King, who looks set for a future in the military, showed off her skills in the pursuit taught to her by her late Grandfather, Prince Philip.

Wearing a blue and red riding hat, cream jodhpurs and brown suede riding boots, the young royal powered through the Essex racecourse on two days of competition. 

Increasingly Lady Louise is seen as one of the most crucial royals in the future of the British monarchy – though you may not have noticed it. 

The studious 20-year-old, about to start her final year at St Andrews, is seldom seen at royal events with her family as she prioritises her studies and keeps a lower profile – but as she’s set to be considering a career in the military, her nickname as The Firm’s ‘secret weapon’ may soon materialise.

Lady Louise, whose parents are Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, is said to have ‘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 the 20-year-old royal, who has maintained a low profile during her university days, goes down the military path, she will be the first female royal since her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to do so.

While Lady Louise often shies away from the spotlight, instead keeping a firm focus on her education, she may become a rising star among the younger generation of royals as she’s set to follow in the footsteps of the late Queen, with whom she was very close. 

Eighth in line to the throne, she is currently in her second year at the University of St Andrews studying English and has reportedly said on her LinkedIn page that she is interested in pursuing a career in ‘the military, diplomacy or law’. 

Louise is also treading in the footsteps of her cousin, William, who attended St Andrews where he met his now wife, the Princess of Wales. 

This year has been tumultuous for the royal family, with both the King and the Princess of Wales taking much-needed time out from royal engagements as they have undergone cancer treatment. 

As the younger generation of royals has rallied in order to represent The Firm at key events, such as the memorial service for King Constantin of Greece at St George’s Chapel in February, it has highlighted something of a ‘gap’ within the monarchy which could offer the opportunity for younger royals to shine. 

Thus far, Lady Louise has ensured her studies come first as she completes her degree – missing out on two Easter Sunday services in a row as she stays in Edinburgh. 

Nonetheless, the 20-year-old royal delights fans with every appearance – whether it’s her obvious enthusiasm for horse riding and all things equestrian, or her uncanny resemblance to her mother.

As far back as 2021, she was dubbed the royal family’s ‘secret weapon’ thanks to her popularity with royal fans.

That year, Louise made a sparkling debut at the Sandringham Horse Driving Trials in June, racing her way to a silver medal alongside her close university friend Felix da Silva-Clamp. 

She was also photographed competing at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May. 

Phil Dampier, who has written about the Firm for 35 years, told the Telegraph‘s royal editor Camilla Tominey that Lady Louise is ‘mature’ for her age, and was the kind of person her grandmother, the late Queen, could rely on. 

‘You have to ask yourself who is going to continue their legacy with Harry and Meghan and Prince Andrew off the scene? There’s a huge workload there’, he said.

Speaking to FEMAIL that year, royal author Ingrid Seward explained Lady Louise, the Queen’s youngest granddaughter, has ‘always been an asset’ to the royal family and is ‘very polite’.

If the young royal were to take up a position in the armed forces, she would follow a long line of royals who have served time in the force, including her father, Prince Edward – although his own time in the army wasn’t necessarily considered a success. 

The Duke of Edinburgh carried out a four-month stint in the Royal Marines before turning his attention to theatre production. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward wrote in 2017 that each of Edward’s siblings were ‘horrified’ at his decision to quit and tried to persuade him to stay on.

Reports began to circulate that Edward and his father Prince Philip, had exchanged ‘harsh words’ over his decision as he chose to pursue a career in the arts instead – however Seward dismissed such claims and instead insisted that Philip was the most understanding.

At the time, Edward said: ‘I could never go out with the rest of the lads into the town, as everyone knew who I was. I didn’t see the way, really, it was going to work.’ 

Adam Wise, Edward’s private secretary at the time, recalled: ‘The first person [Edward] went to when he’d really had enough of the Marines was Prince Philip and he was extremely understanding about the whole thing.

‘He was very reasonable and gave very sensible advice. Prince Philip did not get on his high horse at all and did not get cross about the fact that his son was rejecting the Royal Marines, of which he was Captain General.’

Edward still holds the title of Royal Honorary Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry and The London Guards and became Royal Colonel of 2nd Battalion The Rifles. He also holds three positions in Canada.

However, if Lady Louise decides to enter the military, it will mark a new chapter in her family’s military involvement – but will follow on from the late Queen’s wartime stint.

Queen Elizabeth II was a Junior Commander with the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War.

Young Elizabeth made history as the first royal woman to become a full-time member of the armed services, after she signed up for military service within a year of turning 18.

The late Queen signed up despite reports saying King George VI had ruled that her training as a princess outweighed the nation’s increasing manpower problems, and that she would not be joining any of the women’s auxiliaries or working in a factory.

The King and his wife Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) were determined that they would not be seen as hiding from the war, and so they visited areas that had been bombed during the Blitz.

They also visited military personnel, made trips to munitions factories, RAF bases and Royal Navy ships, and met with troops training for combat.

However, while the family had wanted to stay together at Buckingham Palace throughout the conflict, at the height of the Blitz in 1940, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were evacuated to Windsor Castle.

In September that year, five high explosive bombs were dropped on the Palace, but the King and Queen chose to stay there in solidarity with those living through the Blitz. In addition, the family was subject to the same rationing all everyone else.

Speaking about the bombing, the Queen Mother was reported as saying: ‘I’m glad we have been bombed. Now we can look the East End in the eye.’

The Palace was bombed nine times during World War II.    

While Queen Elizabeth remains the only female member of the Royal Family to serve in the Armed Forces, other male members have played a part.

Prince William was commissioned into the Army in December 2006 and joined the Household Cavalry, while Prince Harry was the last royal to serve in a war during two tours of Afghanistan. 

Prince Andrew served as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot in the Falklands War, Prince Edward trained with the Royal Marines in 1987 but left after four months.

And King Charles was in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976.

Lady Louise is thought to have been extremely close with her late grandmother, having paid nearly fortnightly visits to Elizabeth and Phillip.

Ingrid Seward explained that Louise and her brother, James, Earl of Wessex, ‘were the grandchildren that they saw the most.’

In comparison, ‘while the older ones were seen less frequently, this little girl was there every weekend.’

It was even reported that Louise had no idea her grandmother was the Queen until later in life, her parents wanting to preserve a ‘normal childhood’ for her.

Her mother, Sophie, once revealed in at interview that as a child, Louise had come home on one day saying: ‘Mummy, people keep on telling me that grandma is the Queen.’

Lady Louise was their seventh grandchild. And for Philip, she brought not just joy but a sense of personal pride.

This was because she became the first royal to officially carry the surname Mountbatten-Windsor – so allowing Philip’s surname, Mountbatten, to continue into the future of the Royal family.

A former aide said Philip would be ‘thrilled’ that, 55 years after the birth of his first child, a member of the Royal Family would finally be carrying on the Mountbatten line.

As part of her parents’ effort to maintain a normal life for the children, Louise is scarcely seen at royal events.

At William and Kate’s wedding in 2011, Louise was a bridesmaid and has accompanied her parents on some royal events.

Prior to her death, royal expert Ingrid Seward said the queen and her granddaughter, Louise were ‘extremely close’. 

‘She is like another daughter to the Queen,’ she said.

Louise could follow in the footsteps of her closely held grandmother, with the two having been compared on a number of occasions.

Commenting on the likened nature of the two, Ingrid Seward said: ‘There are shades of the young Elizabeth. There is something about her – a capability. She’s obviously a very gentle young woman.’

A defining parallel between the two generations of royal women is also their joint love of her horses, with the late Elizabeth and Phillip having shared an equestrian passion with their granddaughter. 

As part of the Queen’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Louise moved the usually stoic Elizabeth to tears after she drove Prince Philip’s carriage in a touching tribute.

Louise was previously taught to drive by her late grandparents, in their shared adoration of horses. 

The young royal shared a love of carriage driving with the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was instrumental in helping to establish the activity as a sport in Britain.

Following his retirement, Philip had more time to enjoy carriage-driving, which was one of his favourite past-times since the 1970s. He raced carriages near Norfolk before going on to represent Britain at several world and European championships.

Sophie previously revealed that Prince Philip was ‘so pleased’ when his granddaughter wanted to take up the sport.