Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the youngest granddaughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has quietly started a new job where her boss insists there is “no special treatment” despite her royal status.
The 22-year-old is currently a student at St Andrews University, following in the footsteps of her cousin Prince William and his wife Kate. She began working at the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Thursday as one of the chief organisers. The show, held annually in May within the grounds of Windsor Castle, was a favourite event of her late grandmother.
Nick Brooks-Ward, Director of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, told Vanity Fair: “Lady Louise is one of the chief organisers, 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.” He added: “It’s wonderful that she has continued this close connection and taken such an interest. She’s a great friend to the horse show, and we are very grateful to the King for letting us use his back garden.”
Like her late grandmother, Louise is a keen horsewoman and has taken up carriage driving, taught by her grandfather, the late Prince Philip. Later this weekend, she will participate in the Meet of the British Driving Society, with 50 horses and ponies driven around Windsor Park.
In 2021, Louise made her public speaking debut in a documentary about Prince Philip’s life, where she spoke about bonding with him over carriage driving. She said: “The Duke of Edinburgh has been so involved in my driving, but it’s slightly scary as he invented the sport pretty much. But it’s incredible to have learned first-hand from him and it definitely made us closer.”
Louise and her younger brother James, the Earl of Wessex, have largely grown up away from the spotlight, shielded by their parents, Prince Edward and Sophie, while continuing their studies. This is not the first time Louise has been seen working; in the summer of 2022, while waiting for her A-Level results, she worked at a garden centre for £6.83 an hour. Shoppers described her as “polite and attentive,” with one saying: “I couldn’t believe it was Lady Louise — I had to look twice. She is a really modest and sweet young woman who is polite and attentive to customers. You’d never imagine the Queen’s granddaughter would take on a role working behind a till.”
