Unlike many of their older royal cousins, appearances by Lady Louise Windsor and James Earl of Wessex are infrequent and deliberate, reportedly chosen by their parents to help ease them into public duties.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have been deliberate about keeping their two children out of the limelight, providing them with a “normal” upbringing, despite royal lineages.
In an interview with The Times, Duchess Sophie described her children’s lifestyle. She said: “They go to friends for sleepovers and parties. At weekends we do lots of dog walking and stay with friends.”
She candidly added: “I guess not everyone’s grandparents live in a castle, but where you are going is not the important part, or who they are. When they are with the Queen, she is their grandmother.”
While Louise and James are legally entitled to use the title of His or Her Royal Highness due to their royal status as grandchilden of Queen Elizabeth II, the parents chose to avoid the title, hoping it would enable them to live a more normal life.
Duchess Sophie added 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.”
At the moment, Louise, 21, is studying at St Andrews University in Scotland, the same university where Prince William and Princess Kate met.
While Louise is not a working royal, she does still appear at some royal events, including the King’s Coronation last year where she appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside other members of the Royal Family, including King Charles and Queen Camilla. She also attended this year’s Trooping The Colour ceremony in a carriage with her mother Duchess Sophie.
James, 16, and Lady Louise live in Bagshot Park in Surrey, with their parents, just 11 miles from Windsor Castle, and are also located close to Adelaide Cottage, the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
One of Lady Louise’s favourite pastimes has been horseback riding, a tradition in the Royal Family but one Louise seems to enjoy genuinely.
Louise also enjoys carriage driving, a skill passed down from her grandfather, the late Prince Philip, and in 2019, she even competed in the prestigious Windsor Horse Show, displaying her talent for the sport.
Former BBC royal correspondent, Jennie Bond thinks James and Louise may look to cousins, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall for a shining example of royals who have “made their own way” without royal titles.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, about James’s future, Jennie said: “I think we can expect James to follow his ambitions and not necessarily take the traditional royal route of military service. He will probably try for University and then work out a career path.”
King Charles has often spoken about his plan for a slimmed-down monarchy, but the few appearances from the next generation of young royals show they are quickly growing up and ready to lend a hand.
