Excuse me, but did you know Queen Elizabeth has a favorite grandchild and it is most certainly not Prince Harry or Prince William? Meet Lady Louise Windsor, the 17-year-old daughter of Prince “I Used to Be Surprisingly Hot” Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who—along with her brother, James—has managed to stay pretty out of the royal spotlight. But now that Lady Louise’s parents are taking on more royal duties in the wake of Meghan and Harry moving to America, things might change.
Because one never knows how many seasons of The Crown there could be (JK, there are gonna be six), here’s what you need to know about Lady Louise.
She’s 15th in Line to the Throne
Lady Louise is Queen Elizabeth’s youngest granddaughter, which puts her 15th in line to the throne. So the chances of her ever ruling England seem…slim. Here’s an order of succession if you wanna get nerdy with me:
Her Name Is Packed Full of Meaning
Lady Louise’s full name is Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor. Let’s break it down:
Elizabeth: an obvious reference to Queen Elizabeth
Mary: the name of Queen Elizabeth’s father’s mother, Mary of Teck (wife of King George V)
Louise: the name of Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter
Alice: the name of Prince Philip’s mother
There’s a Reason She’s Not a Princess
So you may have noticed that Louise uses “Lady” despite being cousin to Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Prince William, and Prince Harry.
Y tho? Apparently, her parents simply didn’t want their kids to be princesses and princes—and according to The Express, they obtained the Queen’s consent to opt out. This also means…
She (Probably) Won’t Go by “HRH”
“HRH” stands for “Her/His Royal Highness,” and while Edward and Sophie’s kids are entitled to use it when they turn 18, they likely won’t. Sophie told the Sunday Times:
“We try to bring them up with the understanding that they are very likely to have to work for a living. Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but it’s highly unlikely.”
She’s the Last Royal to Wear the ~ORIGINAL~ Christening Gown
Why is this important, you ask? Honestly, it isn’t, unless you’re weirdly into the lore of this old white nightgown the royals have been passing on to their bbs.
The original gown was made for Queen Victoria in 1841 and used until Queen Elizabeth decided it was too fragile and made a replica. Here’s Prince Louis wearing said replica at his christening:
She’s the Queen’s Favorite Grandchild
No offense to Prince William and Prince Harry, but Queen Elizabeth simply likes Louise best, that’s all. A source told The Sun:
“The Queen loves the fact that Louise and James relish their time at Balmoral, and she has become particularly close to Louise, who seems to have become her favorite grandchild, closely followed by James. Louise also endeared herself to everyone by looking after William and Kate’s children when they were up here. Louise loves drawing and sketching and was very patiently trying to get Charlotte to do pictures of rabbits and deer. Because of her obvious artistic skill, the Queen allowed Louise to look through some of the collection of Queen Victoria’s Highlands sketches, which are kept at Balmoral but are rarely dug out these days.”
She Was a Bridesmaid in Kate and William’s Wedding
I mean…cute! Also, in case you’re wondering, she was a mere guest at Meghan and Harry’s wedding:
Her Passion Is…Carriage Driving
Honestly, love this for her.
In conclusion: Lady Louise seems chill and I need to go become a competitive carriage driver, anon!
