Aside from the obvious cast of characters that we cover ad nauseum around here—King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their two children—a new face emerged yesterday at the Coronation, one largely overlooked heretofore: Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (otherwise known as Prince Edward and Sophie). Clad in a silk dress by Suzannah and a bespoke Jane Taylor hat, Louise took the world’s collective breath away yesterday, with Tatler calling her “the picture of poise” and yesterday “her most stylish display yet.” So who is the youngest granddaughter of the late Queen Elizabeth?
Louise, 19, is the second youngest of Her late Majesty’s eight grandchildren—the only grandchild younger is James, Viscount Severn, Louise’s younger brother. Louise and James were very close to their grandparents, and Louise in particular “shared a close relationship with her grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh [or Prince Philip—Louise’s father, Edward, now carries his title], from whom she inherited a love of carriage driving,” Tatler reports. (Philip’s love of carriage driving is depicted in Netflix’s The Crown.)
“Lady Louise has won fans thanks to her low-key nature and sense of duty—she memorably played an important role in the days following the death of Queen Elizabeth II,” Tatler reports. Louise grew up at Bagshot Park in Windsor, largely keeping out of the spotlight; close royal watchers might remember her turn as a flower girl at the William and Kate’s wedding 12 years ago, when she was seven years old. Speaking of William and Kate, Louise is now a student at the place where they met and fell in love, the University of St. Andrews. Louise is currently studying English at university.
Currently fifteenth in line to the throne, Louise is styled as Lady Louise, after her parents made a decision upon their marriage in 1999 to style their children as children of an earl, rather than prince or princess. In 2020, Sophie stated that it would be Louise’s choice when she turned 18 as to whether to use another styling but, so far, Lady Louise remains.
Louise was seen frequently in 2022, attending the memorial service for her grandfather Philip in March, and in June, Platinum Jubilee events to honor her grandmother like Trooping the Colour—where she joined her family on the Buckingham Palace balcony—the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Platinum Party at the Palace. After the death of Queen Elizabeth on September 8, Louise stood vigil for 15 minutes alongside her brother and cousins at her grandmother’s coffin at Westminster Hall, and she was present at the state funeral on September 19.
The night before the Coronation, Louise joined her parents, brother, and other members of the royal family for dinner at Oswald’s and cut a stunning figure yesterday at the ceremony and on the balcony.
