Lady Louise Windsor

Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor[1] (born 8 November 2003) is the elder child and only daughter of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex. She is the youngest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. She is thirteenth in the line of succession to the British throne.

Lady Louise Windsor
Louise on Christmas Day 2017
Born
Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor

(2003-11-08) 8 November 2003
Frimley Park Hospital, Frimley, Surrey, England
Parents
FamilyHouse of Windsor

Birth and baptism

Louise was born prematurely on 8 November 2003 at 23:32 GMT at Frimley Park Hospital in Frimley, Surrey, after her mother was rushed there by ambulance from the Wessex home at Bagshot Park, Surrey. Prince Edward was not present for the birth because he was in Mauritius and because it occurred so suddenly.[2] Louise was delivered by emergency Caesarean section due to placental abruption, which caused severe blood loss to both child and mother. Louise was transferred to a neo-natal unit in St George's Hospital, Tooting, London, as a precaution. Meanwhile, her mother remained at Frimley Park until she was well enough to be discharged, on 23 November 2003. Louise's name was announced on 27 November.[3]

She was baptised in the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle on 24 April 2004 by David Conner, the Dean of Windsor; her godparents were Lady Sarah Chatto, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, Lady Alexandra Etherington, Francesca Schwarzenbach and Rupert Elliott.[4][5] Louise was the last child to wear the original royal christening gown.[6]

Born with esotropia, Louise underwent an operation in an unsuccessful attempt to correct the problem in January 2006.[7] She had further treatment in late 2013 that corrected her vision.[8]

Education

Louise attended St George's School, Windsor Castle[9] before moving to St Mary's School Ascot[10] in 2017 for her year 9 school year.

Official appearances

In 2011, aged 7, Louise was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.[11]

In April 2015, Louise and her brother participated in their first overseas engagement. They accompanied their parents on a trip to South Africa.[12]

In August 2018, Louise accompanied her mother, patron of UK Sail Training, to Haslar Marina in Portsmouth Harbour to meet a group of young girls working towards earning their qualification on an entry-level course of the Royal Yachting Association.[13] In the same month, mother and daughter attended the final of the Hockey Women's World Cup in London. The Countess has a great interest in the sport and is the patron of England Hockey.[14] At the age of 14, Louise was a special attendant at the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.[15] To celebrate Louise's 15th birthday in November 2018, mother and daughter made a cameo appearance on Strictly Come Dancing as they watched the popular BBC television show from the audience.[16] Louise accompanied the Countess in attending the International Horse Show at Olympia, London, in December 2018.[17]

Personal interests

Louise is a member of Girlguiding, of which her grandmother is patron and her mother is president.[18] Her mother was a Brownie and a Guide when she was a child.[19]

She was taught to ride at a young age, and joined her father on horseback as part of the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations in Windsor in 2016.[20] She has taken up carriage driving, a sport popularised in Britain by her grandfather, Prince Philip.[21] In May 2017, she was responsible for leading the carriages of the Champagne Laurent-Perrier Meet of the British Driving Society at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.[22]

In May 2019, Louise took part in the Private Driving Singles carriage drive at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and achieved third place.[23]

Titles, styles, and honours

Titles and styles
Further information: Mountbatten-Windsor

She is styled as "Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor",[24] although letters patent issued in 1917, and still in force, assign a princely status and the style of Royal Highness to all children of a monarch's sons.[25] Consequently she is entitled to the style and title of "Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Wessex". However, when her parents married, the Queen, via a Buckingham Palace press release, announced that their children would be styled as the children of an earl, rather than as prince or princess.[26] Thus, court communications refer to her as Lady Louise Windsor.[27] In 2020, the Countess of Wessex stated that Louise retained her royal title and style and will make a choice on whether to use it when she turns 18.[28]

Honours

In June 2008, to recognise a visit by Louise's father to the Canadian province of Manitoba, the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba-in-Council named a lake in the north of the province after her.[29]

References
  1. "Mountbatten-Windsor?". 29 July 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  2. "Royal baby born prematurely". BBC News. 8 November 2003. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  3. "Royal Wessex baby finally named". BBC News. 27 November 2003. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  4. "Announcement of the christening of Lady Louise Windsor". royal.uk. 7 April 2004. Retrieved 8 April 2004.
  5. "Royal Christenings". Yvonne's Royalty. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  6. Ranscombe, Siân (19 July 2014). "Prince George's christening gown: the true story". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  7. "Lady Louise Windsor". Debrett's. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  8. "Prince Edward's daughter has successful operation to correct squint". The Telegraph. 14 January 2014.
  9. "The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor". ladymollyparker.tumblr.com. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  10. "Year 9 Team-building day". st-marys-ascot.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  11. Clarence House (14 February 2011). "An update on Maid of Honour and Bridesmaids, Best Man and Page Boys". Queen's Printer. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  12. "Lady Louise and James accompany mother Sophie on royal mission in South Africa". 11 April 2015.
  13. "The Countess of Wessex visits Haslar Marina". royal.co.uk. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  14. "The Countess of Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor attend Hockey World Cup Final in London". royalcentral.co.uk. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  15. "Lady Louise Windsor looks all grown up on Princess Eugenie's wedding day". Hello!. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  16. "The real reason why the Countess of Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor visited Strictly Come Dancing". Hello!. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  17. "Sophie Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor attend International Horse Show together in London". the world news.net. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  18. "Roles in Guiding". The Guide Association.
  19. "Sophie celebrates 100 years of the Brownies with Lady Louise". 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  20. "The Queen's delight as family take part in birthday pageant". Hello!. 16 May 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  21. "Lady Louise Windsor, 13, takes after grandfather Prince Philip carriage driving". Hello!. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  22. "Queen's granddaughter makes Royal Windsor driving debut". Horse & Hound. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  23. "Sophie, Countess of Wessex cuts casual figure as she supports daughter Lady Louise Windsor". express.co.uk. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  24. Statement issued by the Press Secretary to the Queen: Announcement of the christening of Lady Louise Windsor – The official website of The British Monarchy
  25. "No. 30428". The London Gazette. 14 December 1917. p. 13086.
  26. UK Government News – 19th June, 1999: TITLE OF HRH THE PRINCE EDWARD (Accessed 18 January 2014)
  27. Kidd, Charles; Shaw, Christine (2008). Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage 2008. Debrett's Peerage Limited. ISBN 978-1870520805.
  28. "Queen Elizabeth's Grandchildren Will 'Work for a Living' and Won't Use HRH, Says Mom Sophie Wessex". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  29. "Prince Edward begins Winnipeg visit". The Vancouver Sun. Canada. 2 June 2008. Archived from the original on 15 April 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
Lady Louise Windsor
Born: 8 November 2003
Lines of succession
Preceded by
Viscount Severn		 Succession to the British throne
13th in line		 Followed by
The Princess Royal
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank		 Ladies
Lady Louise Windsor 		Followed by
Zara Tindall
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