Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, celebrates her 22nd birthday today.
King Charles’s niece was born on November 8, 2003. Lady Louise is Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s only daughter.
Lady Louise Would Be A Major Asset To Prince William’s Vision For Change In The Monarchy
Her brother is James, Earl of Wessex. Royal experts claim that the young royal may play a key role in Prince William’s slimmed-down monarchy when he becomes King.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, royal correspondent Richard Fitzwilliams said that
“William’s desire to change the monarchy will undoubtedly help if it wants to continue its charitable activities at a significant level.”
Fitzwilliams added that,
“It would certainly be in the interest of the monarchy and all of us if she carried out royal duties.”
The Prince of Wales has declared that “change is on my agenda” when he takes the throne. Sophie and Edward have been invaluable to the monarchy, and it stands to reason that Lady Louise will follow in their footsteps.
William had been considering Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to take an active role in the monarchy. However, considering their parents’ scandals and exile from royal life, that doesn’t seem likely.
Lady Louise would be an asset to the Firm. She was always considered the royal family’s “secret weapon.”
Sophie Experienced A Traumatic Birth With Lady Louise
The young royal was born prematurely as Sophie experienced a traumatic birth and was delivered by emergency C-section. Sophie was reportedly fifteen minutes away from dying in the emergency room.
An abruption of the placenta caused severe blood loss for both mother and baby. Sophie lost nine pints of blood due to internal bleeding. After Lady Louise was born, she suffered from a rare eye condition called esotropia.
She had three separate surgeries to correct it, which initially caused her eyes to look in different directions. Lady Louise had been born a month early. She only weighed four pounds and nine ounces.
Queen Elizabeth broke royal protocol and paid a secret visit to Sophie in the hospital. Fortunately, everything worked out for Sophie and Lady Louise.
Years later, Sophie opened Frimley Hospital’s neonatal unit. At the time, she said,
“The service you can provide can literally make the difference between life and death. I can attest to that.”
Sophie and Edward opted not to have Lady Louise assume the title of princess. They wanted their children to work hard and earn a living.
Lady Louise was a flower girl at William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in April 2011. She is currently studying at St. Andrew’s University and admires the late Queen greatly. She wants to pursue a military career like her beloved grandmother.
Lady Louise was The First Royal To Be Given The Surname Mountbatten Windsor
Richard Fitzwilliams said,
“The royal family has a military position that goes back centuries. Lady Louise joined the army’s University Officers Corps and is an officer cadet, the first female royal to join the military since her grandmother.”
In fact, royal experts often compare the young royal to the Queen. It was also reported that Lady Louise wasn’t even aware that her grandmother was the Queen until later in life. Her parents wanted her to have a “normal childhood”.
Lady Louise was also the first royal to be given the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, which was Prince Philip’s adopted surname. The Queen and her husband were quite fond of little Lady Louise.
Another royal correspondent had some kind words for Lady Louise’s contribution to the monarchy:
“Hopefully William will realize that a slimmed-down monarchy wouldn’t safeguard the institution, as some claim, but it would lead to its irrelevance and eventual death.”
He added,
“What better way to build on its strengths than with an injection of energy from young people who have had values of public service and duty instilled in them from birth?”
And as always, don’t forget to check back with Daily Soap Dish for all of the latest news on the royal family right here.
