It was an exciting family weekend for Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, as she joined her daughter in Windsor for a special event. Lady Louise, the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, was taking part in a horse-related competition, which we imagine will certainly have her aunt, Princess Anne’s, approval!
On Sunday (4 October) the Duchess of Edinburgh was on hand to cheer on her eldest child, Lady Louise, in a pony-drawn carriage driving competition. It was a proud-mum moment for Sophie, as she watched her now 22-year-old daughter making the rounds with her pony on the second day of the event in Windsor Great Park.
Lady Louise picked up her love of carriage driving from her late grandfather, Prince Philip. When he passed away, she even inherited his carriage, which she drove at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2022, the year after his death.
Samir Hussein
Lady Louise at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2022.
Horses have long been a favourite animal of the Royal Family, but it’s Lady Louise’s aunt, Princess Anne, who’s spent decades as a keen and competitive equestrian. She was even the first UK Royal Family member to compete in the Olympics. Her daughter, Zara Tindall, followed in her footsteps, and now her granddaughter, Mia, has taken up the reins for her first competitive equestrian event, too, making three generations in a row.
Like Sophie, Zara was on hand to watch her daughter compete recently, as Mia took part in the team showjumping event at Bleinheim Horse Trials. On 20 September, Mia rode her pony, Bunny Two Twirls, at the competition in Oxfordshire, with her mum, Zara, there to cheer her on, having competed herself at the same event earlier in the week.
Tim Graham
Princess Anne showjumping in the 1970s.
Over the summer, Zara gave her mum an extra-special birthday present by riding to victory at Hartpury International Horse Trials. The event took place on Princess Anne’s 76th birthday, and the win became Zara’s first major title in two decades.
Max Mumby/Indigo
The Princess of Wales embracing Prince William after a charity polo match in July.
Other members of the Royal Family also ride, although less competitively. Prince William, for instance, enjoys polo and takes part in charity cups, where the Princess of Wales often presents trophies to the winners. While not every member of the Royal Family rides competitively, almost all of them are regulars at various horse-related events, such as Royal Ascot, which has hosted royals for hundreds of years.