Lady Louise Windsor, the late Queen’s youngest granddaughter, has earned a degree in English and international relations from St Andrews University and took part in a graduation ceremony today
Lady Louise Windsor has graduated from university and celebrated with her proud parents, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
The 22-year-old, who is the late Queen’s youngest granddaughter, has completed her English and international relations degree after four years of study at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. And to mark the achievement, two brand new pictures have been released – one showing her dressed smartly in her graduation robe holding her degree certificate and another alongside her mum and dad, Sophie and Prince Edward.
It is understood the young royal is now planning to take a gap year, where she will be carrying out a mix of working, volunteering and travelling.
Louise follows in the footsteps of her older cousin Prince William and his wife, Kate, who are also St Andrews University graduates. During her graduation today, she took part in the university’s traditional ‘capping’ ritual, watched on by her parents.
Tomorrow, Lady Louise will receive her Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) gold award from her father Edward, alongside hundreds of other young people, at a special celebration at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. The moment is said to be a particularly special one for Lady Louise, falling in the 70th anniversary year of the award being founded by her late grandfather Prince Philip, and 40 years since her father became involved in supporting in the youth adventure scheme.
Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor was born prematurely in November 2003, weighing just 4lb 9oz. The King’s niece and her younger brother James, the Earl of Wessex, have mainly grown up away from the spotlight – and have been shielded by the parents, Prince Edward and Sophie, while continuing their studies.
Before heading off to university, it emerged Louise had a summer job in a garden centre earning £6.83 an hour, while earlier this year, she took a job helping to organise the Royal Windsor Horse Show. However, she has attended many of the biggest royal events in recent years, including their late grandmother’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, their uncle’s Coronation and Trooping the Colour parades.
However, they aren’t expected to become working royals like their parents. Speaking previously, mum Sophie, said she felt it was ‘highly unlikely’ that both Louise and her brother James, the Earl of Wessex would adopt their HRH titles once they reached 18.
“We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living. Hence, we made the decision not to use the HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely,” Sophie said.
She also revealed that her daughter is not on social media and has the usual worries a parent has for their children. Sophie told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I would hope that she can go on with her studies, which I think she probably will want to do, and I hope that she and her friends will protect her from anything that somebody might want to do.
“But I have to let her live her life. It’s not mine to live. I can only equip her the best that I can, and then she has to make her own choices. But I hope for the next few years, at least, she will still be able to be as private as she wants to be.”
During her time at university, Louise joined the University Officer Training Corps. If she decides to pursue a career in the military following university, she would become the first female royal to embark on a career in the forces since the late Queen, who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a Junior Commander in the Second World War. She is believed to be dating fellow student Felix da Silva-Clamp.
Louise is also a keen carriage driver, carrying on the family tradition from her late grandfather, Prince Philip. In 2021, Louise made her public speaking debut in a documentary about Philip’s life where she spoke about how she bonded with her grandfather over the sport.
She said: “The Duke of Edinburgh has been so involved in my driving, but it’s slightly scary as he invented the sport pretty much. But it’s incredible to have learned first-hand from him, and it definitely made us closer I think.”
