Prince William may be considering a fresh generation of working royals as expert claims he’s ‘running out of royals’, with Lady Louise Windsor tipped as potential candidate
Prince William might be contemplating a new generation of senior working royals, as one expert suggests he’s seemingly “running out of royals” to represent the Firm. There’s been widespread speculation that when the Prince of Wales takes the throne, he’ll usher in a new era for the Royal Family, featuring a “slimmed-down monarchy”, which will further diminish the number of senior working royals within the institution.
The list of working royals has already seen significant reductions, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping away from their royal duties to live in the US in 2020, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor being removed from public life.
According to Christopher Wilson of the Daily Mail, William might be considering giving Lady Louise Windsor – the daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh – a more prominent role.
Reflecting on the limited visibility of working royals in recent months, Mr Wilson told the publication: “That leaves dark-horse contender Lady Louise Windsor, 22, who charms all who meet her and could be a decorative and useful asset to the royal team. But her mother Sophie, vastly protective of her daughter, is just as likely to want her to stay out of the spotlight.”
The royal expert also touched on Lady Louise’s younger brother, 18 year old James, possibly taking on a royal role, stating: “Little is known of his character and personality or whether he’d wish to serve as a front rank royal – even if William wished it. Currently he’s a pupil at Radley, the Berkshire public school.”, reports the Mirror.
Mr Wilson also hinted that William might face challenges as “public demand for the attendance of a royal to mark major and minor events up and down the country remains as high as ever”.
Lady Louise Windsor – currently studying at St Andrew’s University in Scotland, where William and Kate first crossed paths – has made a handful of appearances at royal events, such as Royal Ascot and Trooping the Colour.
However, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have remained steadfast in shielding their two children from the royal limelight and giving them a “normal” upbringing, despite their royal heritage.
Although Louise and James are legally permitted to use His or Her Royal Highness titles due to their royal status as grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II, their parents opted not to adopt the title, hoping it would allow them to lead a more ordinary life.
Duchess Sophie stated in a 2020 interview with The Times: “We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living. Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles.”
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