Prince William’s plan for royal family members who ‘walk their own paths’ and refuse…
Prince William is reportedly cooking up “big plans” for the monarchy’s future, but it seems Lady Louise Windsor, his 21 year old cousin and daughter of Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh, is charting her own course. Sharing a connection with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Louise is studying at the University of St. Andrews, the alma mater of the royal couple.
Despite being eligible to use the HRH title from birth, she and her brother James, Earl of Wessex, were raised without it for a more ordinary life. Now, Lady Louise has the option to become “Princess” but hasn’t taken up the title.
The Scottish Daily Express suggests that William might bring her and her brother into the fold as working royals, which would involve public funding and official duties. With the monarchy’s rigid structure, Lady Louise and James stand 15th and 16th in line to the throne, and their upbringing largely kept them out of the royal limelight due to their father being the late Queen and Prince Philip’s youngest son.
King Charles has long been an advocate for a “slimmed down monarchy,” reducing the number of working royals to cut costs for the public. However, not everyone is on board with this idea, especially given recent challenges faced by the royal family that highlight the problems of not having enough support.
Last year, when both King Charles and Princess Kate were off duty due to cancer treatment, it underscored the fact that most of the remaining working royals are aging – the average age is 69, but without Kate and William, it jumps to 77. Balancing family life with their three young children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six – and royal duties was a delicate act for Kate and William last year, reports the Mirror.
More younger working royals could help lighten the load of public engagements. This is particularly true since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s departure – Charles’s vision for a leaner royal operation didn’t factor in his youngest son, a public favorite, leaving The Firm.
Princess Anne has voiced her opposition to a “slim” monarchy, telling CBC News in 2023, “It doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I have to say,” and adding that the concept was initially Charles’s idea “when there were a few more people around.
However, with Sophie – the mother of Louise and James – stating back in 2020 that it was “unlikely” her children would adopt the HRH style, it remains uncertain whether the private duo will be eager to support their cousin in his future plans for the Firm.
