Prince William is said to have “big plans” for the Royal Family’s future, including for one member of the family who is seemingly keen to walk her own path.
William’s cousin Lady Louise Windsor has a connection with the future king and wife Kate Middleton. The 21-year-old, who is the daughter of Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh, is currently attending the University of St Andrews, where William and Kate met as students.
While Louise and her younger brother James, Earl of Wessex, 17, were given the opportunity to use the HRH style from birth, their parents refused this in the hopes it would allow their children to have a more normal upbringing.
However, the Scottish Daily Express has reported that William has considered officially making Louise and James working royals, meaning they would be part of the public funding from the Sovereign Grant in order to undertake engagements on behalf of the crown.
Louise and James are 15th and 16th in the line of succession, respectively, making them somewhat distant from the throne. With their father Prince Edward being the youngest child of the late Queen and Prince Philip, the likelihood of Louise and James being called upon as working royals was considered slim, and they spent much of their upbringing away from the royal spotlight.
Upon his ascension to the throne, King Charles has been keen to minimise the number of working royals in a new “slimmed down monarchy” in order to reduce the costs to the public. However, this has now always proven popular, particularly as recent difficulties the Royal Family has faced have indicated the issues that can arise from not having enough hands on deck.
Last year saw both King Charles and Princess Kate off duty while they both received cancer treatment, making it clear that the majority of working royals are growing older. The average age of the working royals is 69, but if Kate and William are removed from that equation then it rises sharply to 77.
Kate and William faced the challenge of prioritising the wellbeing of their family last year – including their three young children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six – while continuing with their royal obligations. The addition of more working royals, particularly younger members of the family, could help lighten this load.
This plans is considered be especially helpful since Harry and Meghan stepped back – Charles’s plan for a slimmer royal machine never accounted for the fact his youngest son, who has long been a favourite amongst the public, would leave.
Princess Anne has even spoken out against a ‘slim’ monarchy, saying “It doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I have to say,” to CBC News in 2023, adding that Charles initially came up with the idea “when there were a few more people around”.
However, with Sophie – Louise and James’ mother – saying herself back in 2020 that it was “unlikely” her children would use the HRH style, it remains to be seen if the private pair will be keen to assist their cousin in his future plans for the Royal Family.
