Lady Louise Windsor is carrying forward the carriage driving passion of her late grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The 22-year-old, who is the youngest granddaughter of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, has impressed those in the sport with her commitment and ability.
Sara Howe, owner of Bradbourne Riding & Training Centre in Sevenoaks, regularly observes Louise at competitions.
“I think she’s doing extremely well with the time and the commitment of everything else she has to do,” Ms Howe said “She’s a pleasure to work with.”
Lady Louise Windsor has been praised about her passion for carriage driving
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The trainer added that Louise “looks more than good” in her performances.
Despite not claiming first place in her events, Louise regularly finishes among the leading competitors. “If you look at the results, and if you’ve got ten in a class or 15 in a class, she’s not winning the class. She’s in the top four or five, or whatever it is. She’s not down at the bottom,” Ms Howe explained.
She noted that many competitors with far more experience have yet to achieve similar results.
Crucially, Louise’s success stems from dedication rather than her royal status.
“She’s earned it,” Ms Howe remarked, adding that Louise “would be mortified if anybody turned around and said she’s got it because she’s been given it.”
At competitions, King Charles’ niece enters under the name Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, blending in with her fellow drivers. “You would never know who she is. She is just Louise,” Ms Howe said.
The royal competes under a different name and goes unnoticed by other competitors
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This approach echoes how her grandfather conducted himself in the sport. “She’s on the same keel as everyone else. No one else cares who she is. You’re out there, you’re competing and that’s a little bit like the duke,” Ms Howe observed.
The trainer emphasised that regardless of status, the competition field levels all participants. “So let the best man win,” she said. “Doesn’t matter who you are,” she concluded to Hello.
Prince Philip discovered carriage driving after retiring from polo at the age of 50. Ms Howe, who previously competed alongside the duke, described him as “a very good ambassador” who “had that charm and talent with the horses.”
Though Philip stopped competing in 2003, he continued driving carriages well into his 90’s.
Prince Phillip was a avid carriage driver
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Following his death in 2021, Louise reportedly inherited her grandfather’s carriage and ponies. She was subsequently spotted driving his carriage on the Windsor Castle estate.
Louise first competed in 2017 at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Her mother, the Duchess of Edinburgh, herself a carriage driver, has praised her daughter’s natural aptitude for the discipline.