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Lady Louise Windsor had a big weekend at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. The youngest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth took part in the carriage driving parade on Sunday, joining her mother, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who drove her own buggy in the event. Lady Louise also served as an official during the International Carriage Driving Competition on Saturday.
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Lady Louise driving a carriage during the parade on Sunday.
Currently studying at the University of St. Andrews, Lady Louise, 22, has been a fixture at the annual show for years, but this was the first time she had a more formal role. Her father, Prince Edward, serves as president of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, and her mother as vice president.
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The Duchess of Edinburgh’s carriage parked next to Lady Louise’s at the carriage driving parade.
According to Hello, Louise took on a part-time job to help organize the event, for which she received a paid salary. “Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward provided Lady Louise and her brother James with as normal an upbringing as possible, and this is clearly reflected in her work ethic,” a source told the publication. “She is very grounded and down-to-earth, you wouldn’t know she was a royal. It was her idea to ask for a part-time job. She’s very hard-working.”
Originally known as the Windsor Horse and Dog Show, the first iteration was first staged in 1943 to help raise funds for the home front during World War II. Since renamed to simply the Royal Windsor Horse Show, it has continued to run every year since and is now the only show in the UK to host international competitions in show jumping, dressage, driving, and endurance.
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Lady Louise seen talking to her parents while working as an official on Saturday.
Equestrian pursuits run deep in the family. Lady Louise took up driving from her grandfather Prince Philip, who took it up after retiring from polo in the 1970s. In 2022, Lady Louise drove her grandfather’s carriage at the show’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, honoring both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s contributions to the equestrian world. Additionally, Lady Louise’s aunt and cousin, Princess Anne and Zara Tindall, are both former Olympic equestrians on Britain’s eventing team, which competes in dressage, show jumping, and cross-country.
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.