Lady Louise Windsor has accepted a paid job at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, with officials praising the hard-working royal as a real asset to the team. The 22-year-old, who is studying English at the University of St Andrews, arrived unfazed by the cold rain in Berkshire for the prestigious equestrian event that begins today.
King Charles's niece, one of the chief organisers, wore a Joules Tweed Field Coat in a heather check pattern, complemented by an RWHS cap over her flowing blonde hair. She paired navy trousers with Wellington boots featuring a beige leather strap.
She was joined by her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, both 62, as they kicked off the first day of the show ahead of King Charles's attendance later this week. Sophie beamed with pride watching her daughter help with preparations, after the show's director praised Lady Louise as a great worker without airs or graces.
The Duchess was elegantly dressed in a beige tweed jacket, dark brown trousers, and an off-white scarf on the cold May afternoon. She carried a waterproof windcheater and a long-strap brown shoulder bag, with her hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Louise's father Prince Edward also attended the show, a firm favourite of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
While Lady Louise missed last year's edition, which hosts international competitors for dressage and show jumping on the grounds of Windsor Castle, she is making her presence quietly known this year. According to Nick Brooks-Ward, the director, the down-to-earth royal is operating a first concierge service.
He told Vanity Fair: 'Lady Louise is one of the chief organizers, essentially operating a first concierge service. She’s a great worker and a real asset to the team with no airs or graces. It’s a proper paid job and there’s no special treatment because of who she is.'
In addition to behind-the-scenes work, Lady Louise will compete in the carriage driving event later this week. She was taught carriage driving as a young girl by her grandfather, the late Prince Philip, and they bonded over their shared love of the sport. The late Duke of Edinburgh counted it as one of his favourite pastimes, racing carriages near Norfolk in the 1970s and representing Britain at world and European championships.
In a heartfelt tribute, Lady Louise drove his carriage during an emotional procession at the finale of the Gallop Through History during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in May 2022. She now frequently competes in equestrian events, driving her grandfather's ponies to keep his memory alive.
She will participate in the Meet of the British Driving Society on the final day, with Edward and Sophie expected to attend as president and vice-president of the show. Mr Brooks-Ward said the Duke and Duchess invest a lot of time in the show, a cherished royal family tradition.
Lady Louise, often called the Firm's dark horse, has been compared to the late Queen due to their shared love of horses. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward commented: 'There are shades of the young Elizabeth. There is something about her – a capability. She’s obviously a very gentle young woman.'
The late Queen made her final visit to the horse show just months before her death on September 8, 2022. She would wander among the stalls wearing a headscarf and often entered homebred horses and ponies in classes.
Lady Louise has been touted as the royal family's secret weapon who could continue the royal family's legacy, following in her mother Sophie's footsteps. Phil Dampier, a royal writer of 35 years, told the Telegraph that she is mature for her age and becoming precisely the kind of person the late Queen can rely on. He added: '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.'
Royal expert Christopher Wilson described her as a dark-horse contender in King Charles's slimmed-down monarchy following the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew.
