Lady Louise to follow in mum Sophie's footsteps in break from royal tradition

27 August 2023 , 13:10

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Lady Louise Windsor at the 'Champagne Laurent-Perrier Meet of The British Driving Society' at Windsor Castle in 2022 (Image: Getty Images)

Lady Louise Windsor, the eldest child of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is preparing to enter her second year studying English at St Andrew's University.

A royal expert has discussed what the future could hold for Lady Louise, who is not a working member of the royal family, nor is her younger brother James, Earl of Wessex. Although this is not unusual due to their young age, as King Charles seeks to slim down the monarchy it now seems unlikely that Louise and James will take up the mantle of working royals in the future, the Express reports.

Louise and James sit fairly far down the list of succession at 16th and 15th place respectively which allows them to live a more ‘normal’ life as private individuals with their own jobs for income. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams explained what Louise's working future could look like and how important it may be for the family.

He said: "The probability is that Lady Louise will be working for a living as her mother the Duchess of Edinburgh once anticipated. She did not receive a title when her parents became Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and her brother Viscount Severn became the new Earl of Wessex. The style of the daughter of a Duke is similar to that of an Earl.

Sophie herself held a job in public relations, opening her own agency in 1996, although after marrying Edward in 1999 she closed her business and in 2002 she began full-time work as a member of the royal family.

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"Since she is still at university there is the understandable desire to minimise publicity about and interest in her activities. It remains true however that if in future she did perform royal duties, it would be of great importance for the royal family, only four working royals are currently under 70 and they will therefore be performing fewer duties for fewer charitable institutions."

Louise and James did appear with other senior members of the Firm on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the King’s Coronation, in what could have been a nod to the next generation of the family, whatever their roles end up being.

Prince William and Princess Kate are the only working royals under 70, besides Edward and Sophie. Their children are still far too young to take up any royal duties and so there has been some suggestion that it may fall to younger members like Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to take on more royal responsibilities.

Catherine Meyer-Funnell