We’ll likely hear a lot about Lady Louise Windsor in the coming days and weeks. Her 18th birthday is November 8th. That will be the day in which she can decide how she wants to be “styled,” what her titles will be and whether she will be an HRH. As part of the deal that Prince Edward made with the Queen when he married Sophie, they agreed to take the Wessex titles and raise their children without the HRH style. The Queen and Prince Philip made it known that they wanted Edward to take his father’s “Duke of Edinburgh” title when Philip passed as well. So… months after Philip passed, Edward still didn’t have his hands on the title, because it belongs to Prince Charles now, and Charles wants to keep the DoE title for himself. Which has caused a lot of frustration in Camp Wessex, and in retaliation, they’re probably going to convince Lady Louise to take a princess title and an HRH style on her 18th birthday. The royal press loves this, because they need a new, young princess to devour.
Lady Louise celebrates her 18th birthday on Monday. Like everyone else when they reach the landmark birthday, she will be eligible to vote and allowed to drink alcohol in a pub. Unlike everyone else, however, she has a big royal decision to make.
Her parents Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex opted against giving her and her brother James, Viscount of Severn, the HRH titles they are entitled to from birth. Instead, Louise and James can choose to use them upon turning 18, should they so wish to.
Royal expert Howard Hodgson told Express.co.uk that Louise could take on royal duties if she wishes to. He argued that Princess Anne is quite far down the line of succession and continues to be one of the hardest working royals. However, she will need to slow down at some point, which could leave an opportunity for her niece Louise.
He said: “If she puts her hand up and says ‘I want to take on board royal duties’, I’m sure the PR machine isn’t going to throw her into the spotlight. But she will certainly be able to work and go out and do that without any shadow of a doubt because there is enough to go around. Princess Anne is in her seventies now, she is second only to Prince Charles in terms of public duties. She would want to take it easy at some point. So there is a gap there.”
It’s been clear throughout the year that Sophie and Edward are behaving like stage parents, pushing their shy, sheltered kid into the spotlight and, in essence, feeding her to the wolves of the royal press pack. It will get even more uncomfortable if Louise does become a princess. There’s a timing issue here too, not just with Louise’s 18th birthday. From what I understand, Louise doesn’t actually have to make the decision on her birthday. She could decide a year from now that she wants to be an HRH princess. But the only way she has that ability to style herself that way is as the grandchild of the monarch. As in, when Charles becomes king, she’ll be the monarch’s niece and she’ll be stuck with whatever title she has at the time the Queen passes. Which is why I believe Sophie and Edward will push her to become a princess sooner rather than later, because Charles wouldn’t be able to take her HRH away when he’s king. Or, he wouldn’t be able to do that very easily.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
LMAO! This family is going to IMPLODE when the Queen passes. Once again congrats to Harry for making a break for it!
Sigh, look kid I may be biased as I am for full abolition of all hereditary monarchies; but I think you would have a much happier life going to college, finding a fulfilling career, and staying out of this nonsense!!!!
I agree so hard with everything you said!
She probably will go to university and/or embark on some kind of career,which is what most of the younger royals have done. Any future official royal role could develop alongside a career.
I can see why Charles might support the idea of a future official role for Louise. She seems to have more in common with the young women of Charles’ generation than those William was inviting to his underage drinking club at Highgrove. Empty headed ‘socialites’ have had their day.
I don’t think Charles is on board. He is not exactly close to the Wessexes. and he would worry that the York PRincesses would complain if Louise got a royal role and they did not. I would hope her parents would let her get an education at University first. Charles DID live life on the fast lane when he was young, something which did come out later.
I think SO MUCH of this is coming from Sophie – “Louise can have a royal role if she wants it,” “Louise can be the next Anne” etc – the next Anne part is kind of a giveaway, and is shade towards the Cambridges – Hodgson is saying that the royal family is going to need someone who wants to work who is not the monarch, and at this point they have…..the Cambridges…and everyone else is approaching or well past retirement age.
I don’t know that it will explode, but I think it’ll become smaller very quickly. Charles has ~*plans*~.
So, I don’t understand the myth of all this royal work that has to be done. It’s not a thing. If Princess Anne retired than it would be fine. No one would need to take up her causes. They were just things she wanted to do. Only the Queen has actual obligations. The rest of them are basically making it up as they go along for the most part. The only time they aren’t is when they are specifically asked by the government/Queen to do something. So, like some parts of royals tours and such. She’s not “needed.” Literally no one but the monarch is needed.
Totally agree. These are not real problems
The Royals justify the taxpayers money they get by showing up at various charitable / municipal events. If only the monarch keeps working rather than at present 10 to 15 people (counting the Queen’s cousins who do a lot of the bread and butter work), there would have to either be a massive reduction in the amount of money handed over (which even today, there is no political appetite for, plus it may not be legally possible since the RF surrendered the Crown Estates in return for a guaranteed income) or the Monarch would effectively be given a massive pay rise just for his / her personal activities (income currently covering the work of all of them given for the work of one person).
Also, the British people *do* expect the RF to show up and do the work – open hospitals, new municipal buildings, schools etc. Charles’ belief that the York Princesses weren’t needed was always shortsighted (and probably a slam at Andrew rather than a carefully thought out decision) since the Queen’s cousins won’t be able to keep going much longer due to age.
It’s not so much the overarching causes, it’s the boring ‘have you come far’ conversations with the public at yet another reception (the stuff Will and Kate refuse to do) that need covering.
Charles has made it clear none of his siblings kids will be working royals. The idea that Louise can replace Anne is total nonsense.
I rarely wade into Royal threads, and I know I’m just a cranky American, but the notion that these pampered poodles are kept in luxury so that they can attend municipal ribbon cuttings—doesn’t that bother anyone? Aren’t there elected officials who could show up? I don’t consider anything the BRF does as “work”, no matter how they try to gussie it up.
“It’s not so much the overarching causes, it’s the boring ‘have you come far’ conversations with the public at yet another reception (the stuff Will and Kate refuse to do) that need covering.”
Which is why Princess Anne goes to some out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere village for a very long day and performs 5-8 separate engagements a day in and around this village allowing her to long 300-500 engagements a year depending on how you count the engagements.
This. I understand why the Queen has certain “duties”, as well as her immediate successors to prepare them for the throne. I don’t know if Princess Anne is “popular”, in the sense of the public being curious about her life or whatever, but she seems to be generally respected (perhaps because she’s one of the precious few royals who knows how to keep her head down?), so I can see why she might make for a decent patron to trot out occasionally. But the rest of the family? I mean, is anyone just DYING to attend a garden party with Lady Louise Windsor?
Agreed. Only the monarch has an actual job. The rest is just a scam on the public to “justify” paying for the others’ lavish lifestyle.
Yes they need to justify their taxpayer paycheck with thise charitable events, id relly like to compile the funds they raise per year, and confirm of course that katiekeen make again the bottom pf the list. Also they need to be seen and people need to be interested to attract those millions of tourist coming to see the Queen – who really would buy tickets and pay expensive £ travels expenses for a chance to see King Chaws and Camilla?? Willnot and KKeene are MIA months at a time. The other insteresting people are in America.
Somebody crunched the numbers (I think it was The Times?) and they found that having a royal patron doesn’t actually provide a financial benefit to the charities.
EMILY, that’s true. A couple of Kate’s charities closed due to lack of funding.
The work is that of the Sovereign who chooses members of their family to assist them and represent them. Some family members such as the Sovereign’s heir, spouse and the first 4 in the line of succession who are at least 21, have a constitutional role.
All European monarchies, except Monaco, are constitutional monarchies and work alongside Parliament. In Holland the relationship is written into the Constitution and is summarised as “No King without Parliament, No Parliament without the King. A Sovereign’s role is essentially ‘holding power in trust for the people’ . It is a safeguard against dictatorship. England had a short ‘Republic’ under Oliver Cromwell but reverted back to a monarchy by popular demand. The return of the exiled Charles 11 was the start of our constitutional monarchy which ended the assumption of ‘divine right’ and prevented the King acting without Parliament. Spain is another example of a Republic which has brought back its royal family to prevent any further dictatorship.
The work done by the Queen and her representatives in the UK covers legal and diplomatic functions as well as the public engagements and events we are famiar with.
There is no large scale support for a republic in the UK.
It’s weird that having been the grandchild of a monarch isn’t enough. You have to grab the title while the grandparent is still on the throne. But I agree with MIA4S, abolish the monarchy and all titles.
I don’t think it matters whether or not the Queen is still on the throne. Louise was born with HRH status. The decision about using the style becomes her choice from reaching 18.
Thanks. That makes more sense.
“Her parents Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex opted against giving her and her brother James, Viscount of Severn, the HRH titles they are entitled to from birth.”
The above is a false statement. The HRH is not the Wessexes to “give” or “not give”. Louise and James were HRHs at birth.
Sophie & Edward ask QEII (and Philip) for permission to style and raise their children in the manner of a non-royal Earl until they were 18. QEII, with Philip’s complete blessing, 100% agreement and total support, agreed to this request and granted permission.
No, she was NOT born with the HRH title. People think that because a previous monarch said the children of a monarch’s son get the HRH. But that title is given and taken away at the whim of a monarch, all it takes is a written statement to overrule a previous one. And Elizabeth made an official written statement when Edward married that his kids will NOT be given the HRH titles. Elizabeth can always change her mind and give Louise that title at any time. And maybe she privately assured Edward that she would. But her written edict said nothing about Louise’s 18th birthday, and for Louise to use that title, Elizabeth will need to first issue a new statement overruling her 1997 one. Which she may do. My point is that Sophie is being dishonest about her kids having the right to HRH all along.
“And Elizabeth made an official written statement when Edward married that his kids will NOT be given the HRH titles”
@MrsKrabapple – I think you are mistaken. Sophie Wessex would would not be talking to the Daily Mail and other tabloids about this subject if Louise was not an HRH.
The Letters patent from 1917 has never been revoked and so when Louise and James were born they had the HRH at birth. Choosing to style themselves differently is what the queen agreed to. She never revoked the George V letters patent of 1917. And she did issue a new letters patent prior to George being born so that he would have an HRH regardless of sex and for all of William’s children to have an HRH because the 1917 letters patent only gave it to the first male child.
The letters patent is a legal instrument that cannot be revoked by a press communication. They are printed in the Gazette which is where all legal instruments are published in the UK and if you check when Louise was born, there is nothing there about revoking the HRH. Hence the 1917 letters patent was still in force for Louise and James.
@Nic919 – Your comment is exactly what I thought the situation is. Many royal scholars (not royal gossips) with blogging boards and/or newsletter have stated the exact same thing you stated.
The previous letters do not have to be repealed in order for the queen to change them with respect to any individual situation. For example, when the queen’s uncle abdicated, the new king made the former king a royal duke with HRH title. But, he decreed that any children the former king had, as well as his wife, would not get the HRH title with they otherwise would be entitled to. It was a specific edict to that one situation.
Similarly, the queen took away the right to use HRH from Edward’s children before they were born, and has not (yet) overruled that decision. There is no “requirement” that the written statement take any specific form, or be published in any specific publication, to be effective. All that is required is that the written statement evidence the monarch’s pleasure. If there IS a legal requirement, please link to it — because I have looked into this quite a bit, and there is no requirement to be found. If you know where it exists, I’d like to see it (that is not snark, I mean it sincerely, that I would be very interested in seeing it!). 🙂
@Mrs Krabapple, the monarch cannot make or change laws ‘on a whim’. Letters Patent is a legal instrument which has been agreed by both Houses of Parliament. The Queen had to take this procedure to enable William’s children to have HRH style from birth. She couldn’t just announce it by a press release. The exception made for William’s children has not altered the 1917 law. It applies only to William’s children.
The press release on Edward’s marriage does not alter the 1917 law. There are three ‘agreements’ in that press release. The first is confirming Edward’s title of Earl of Wessex, the second is the agreement that he will eventually take the Duke of Edinburgh title when it reverts to the Crown and the third is the agreement that Edward’s children will have the titles applicable to the children of an earl.
Edward and Sophie’s intention had been to continue with their careers alongside taking a share of royal duties. It didn’t work out that way but their intention had been to have a more normal family life without the kind of press attention which Charles’ and Andrew’s children attracted.
‘Agreement’ is a key word in that press release. Prince Charles is included in the agreement about the DofE title and Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones is included in the agreement about titles for any children.
Parents cannot make lifelong agreements relating to a child’s inheritance and the HRH style and title of Princess is Louise’s inherited property. It is for her to decide how she will be known.
Prince Edward cannot inherit his father’s title, which has now passed to Charles as the eldest son, but when Charles is King he can bestow the title on Edward. He has agreed to do this.
Kim they are people dying. Lol the pettiness of these people. Just give Edward the title if thats what daddy wanted. Smh
I could be mistaken, but doesn’t Charles have to wait to be king in order to give Edward the title anyway? Charles couldn’t just bestow it on Edward at this point. The Wessexes need to pipe down a bit before they start going ham on Charles for something that is out of his control for now.
They all seem to be on tenterhooks with the incoming King Charles. He must have given them the impression he will be ruthless,they all want to get what they can from the Queen before Charles ascends.
“I could be mistaken, but doesn’t Charles have to wait to be king in order to give Edward the title anyway? ”
YES! You are 100% correct as the title, Duke of Edinburgh, must merge back into the crown before it can be regranted.
@BayTampaBay, Could he just renounce that title to merge it back before the Queen’s death? I’ve never seen anyone address if that was possible.
@Brandy Alexander – Anything is possible when it comes to titles for the British Royal Family but renouncing titles is not something normally done by members of the Royal Family. IMAO, QEII should have made Edward The Duke of Dover at the time of his marriage.
@TampaBayTampa. Thanks for the answer. It just seemed to me like if everyone wanted him to have this title on his father’s death, that there should have been contingencies made to make that happen, since it now clearly shows it wasn’t a given. But that’s probably me just trying to insert common sense into a system that has very little of it to start with. I do wonder if she’ll make him a Duke of SomethingElse in the next year or so.
@Brandy Alexander They publically announced it was the wish of Philip and Elizabeth and Chaz had agreed to it by the time Edward married, that he would first be known as Wessex, then upon his fathers death, he would inherit his title.
They thought the public announcement would be enough, but nobody understood how deep Chaz pettiness ran.
This kid reminds me of the painting in one of the London Art museums of Lady Jane Grey about to be beheaded. A sad shy girl being sent to the slaughter by her power hungry family. This family is deconstructing before our eyes. Couldn’t happen to a nicer crew.
I have always said that Carole is the modern day version of Thomas Boleyn.
As for Lady Louise Windsor. Her parents are going to pimp her out once she turns 18. They need money and she is going to provide it for them.
Irene Spot On Carole = Thomas Boleyn. She would have been fantastic in the old courts poisoning and seducing her way to power. Move over Cerci … Carole is here
No, Thomas Boleyn thoroughly educated Anne and made sure she was an intelligent networker and encouraged her ideas, both she and George Boleyn were academic and religious reform minded.
This is more like the Woodvilles.
@Maria – spot on. He and his wife raised Anne and the other children in a close-knit family and made sure they were well educated, spoke several languages fluently, and cultivated good relationships with others of their ilk. The Woodvilles, on the other hand, were more like the Middletons.
I’m not sure that Charles’ accession would make any difference. Louise has been legally HRH from birth. Her parents chose to raise her without using that style but it is for Louise to make the choices now. She can use HRH Princess at any point in the future.
@Rawiya: Not when Charles is king because at point only the grandchildren of the monarch can get title. She will be no longer the grandchild of the monarch but the niece. That’s why the pressure is on from the press for her to become a princess now.
Unless there is a letters patent specifically removing the HRH from Louise or James, they both have the HRH now and can decide to use it whenever they want. All the Queen’s cousins who have the HRH kept it when her father, their uncle, became monarch because they were born with it just like Louise was, as they were grandchildren of a monarch.
IIRC that’s not how it works. Once you have the HRH Princess title, you have it for life (no matter if you use it or not). You don’t “lose” your HRH if you’re a born Princess even once your grandparent is dead.
@Amy – The Wessexes children were BORN the grandchildren of a monarch in the male line so they are/were HRHs from birth.
Archie and Lilibet are the ones who will not automatically become HRHs if Charles does not become king. The second Charles becomes King, Archie and Lilibet ATOMATICALLY become HRHs as they are now grandchildren of the monarch in the male line.
To “block” Archie and Lilibet from becoming HRHs, new letters patent need to be issued BEFORE Charles becomes king to prevent automatic assumption of the “style” of HRH at the death of QEII.
When Edward married, the queen issued a formal written statement that his kids shall not be styled HRH. That IS a letters patent, overruling the one from 1937 that otherwise would have given them that title. The queen will need to put out a new written statement overruling her 1997 one before Louise or James can use the HRH title.
Actually nvm because I’m wrong.
It was not Letters Patent. It was simply a formal statement to the effect that the Wessex children would be raised with the titles applicable to the children of an earl. If it had been Letters Patent then Louise would not have the option she now has
@anotherlily – You are 100% correct. QEII issued a formal statement. I am not aware in all of my readings of any official Letters Patent being issued on this subject. However, I could be wrong. Since Letters Patent are formal public documents, it should not be hard to research and come up with an official copy of the document relating to James and Louise.
@anotherlily I tend to agree with you, but MrsK’s point is that Louise does NOT have the option, and its just another talking point for the RRs. I think also part of her point is that it doesn’t have to say THIS IS A LETTER PATENT to be a letter patent. It’s a written order issued by the monarch regarding titles, offices, etc – that should be enough. (talking about the statement issued when the Wessexes got married.)
Again though I agree that she is HRH now, but we’ve had this debate often enough at this point that I can see what MrsK is saying lol.
I guess we’ll see on Monday if she introduces herself as HRH Princess Louise.
It is not a letters patent because it was never printed in the gazette as all legal instruments are required to do. Therefore Louise has the HRH and is simply choosing not to use it.
Even the queen cannot revoke things without going through the formalities and she did not revoke the HRH for Louise and James.
It wasn’t a letters patent wtf? It was a press release? It has zero legal bearing on the situation. The 1917 letters patent have not been changed other than the update to William’s children. Louise and James have identical status to their cousins William, Harry, Beatrice and Eugenie. Whether they USE that status is up to them, and it was not used when they were minors per the PRESS RELEASE. Sophie has explained this twice in interviews, I think this kid’s mother would know better than random internet commenters. Hell you can even read Louise’s Wikipedia page and it’s explained this way.
@Katherine – THIS X 100! Sophie Wessex would not be giving interviews discussing Louise’s HRH if she did nit know what she was talking about. Sophie Wessex is many things but she is not stupid.
Oh what is a kingdom without a princess. Of course the press need princesses to write about and study who they will marry and how many children they will have.
Just ridiculous. They are acting like this is one big fairy tale.
This is all confusing but if we figure she has the right to HRH on her 18th bday (which we have debated on here before), then I think she is entitled that regardless of whether the queen lives or dies. She’s always going to be a granddaughter of a monarch. I’m trying to think of an applicable situation. Prince richard, the duke of gloucester, is a grandson of George V in the male line and George V was dead when he was born – so he was “just” the nephew of the king at the time, but he’s still HRH Prince Richard. So I think Louise can use HRH if she wants regardless of whether the Queen is still alive.
Any one else have more insight?
As for taking on royal duties – no. She needs to get a degree, find a fancy aristocratic job, and move on from the royal world. She’ll be better off for it in the long run.
Unless Charles changes that convention Meghan discussed in the Oprah interview, right? She and her brother could be strays in Charles’ quest to strip his biracial grandkids of their titles. Unless it’s not retroactive.
I don’t think it would affect those who already have the HRH, which Louise does at this point, she’s just not using it. But I don’t know. Maybe Charles does want to strip everyone of HRH, including the York princesses and the Wessex children.
Charles has always wanted to slim down the monarchy….it’s not just for his grandkids.
Louise is currently an HRH but simply doesn’t choose to use it. Same as her brother James. Unless a letters patent specifically removes it from her, then she is no different than Beatrice and Eugenie.
It was always dumb for the Wessexes to do this when Andrew already had his daughters use their HRH. Maybe they weren’t expecting to have to do royal duties, but since that changed, it never made sense for Louise and James to be treated differently from the York sisters, when none of them are expected to do royal duties themselves.
I don’t see Charles looking to remove HRHs from any of them at this point.
The press is going to be awful to her when she turns 18. Especially since the “senior royals” are low on bait.
I think it may be the opposite. She may have had a privileged upbringing but she’s also had to deal with a serious eye condition from birth. She is apparently intelligent and thoughtful. She is also completely scandal free.
I vote they’ll devour her. At some point she’s going to get a makeover, and as soon as she steps out with a blowout, the tabloids will consider that open season on her appearance. They will be merciless.
This kind of an awful thing to say, but it’s lucky she’s not ‘hot’. Often when a celebrity teenager is approaching their 18th birthday, the media will do a countdown to the day they’re ‘legal’ and then it’s open season on them. Louise looks like a normal, slightly dowdy teenager and won’t attract the incredibly invasive and creepy scrutiny that the likes of Lindsey Lohan and Emma Watson got and Millie Bobby Brown will surely get when she turns 18.
HRH or not, if she becomes the next newly-fledged Princess out of the nest, the media are going to savage that sweet, innocent girl to the ends of the earth and back. It’s what they do, and who they are. She could never put a foot wrong, and the end result would be the same. If she wants the style of HRH, fine, but I hope she makes her own choices about how she wants to live her life – university, career, marriage, family – on her own terms and without her ambitious parents making them for her. If she ends up in the media grinder, I don’t think she’ll survive it with her mental and emotional health intact.
Prince William of Gloucester, Prince Michael of Kent and Prince Richard of Gloucester (now the Duke of Gloucester) all were born and all became HRH after their grandfather George V died. Unless something changed, I think that still applies today. After all you are still your grandparent’s grandchild after they die.
I see that @Becks1 has already brought this up!
Is riding the monarch’s coattails really the best way for this family? Why not get educated and work and/or why not marry a wealthy aristo and be free of the monarch and their purse strings? Louise could probably do bread and butter royal engagements well, her parents seem to get on with it with reasonable commitment and effort so she’d probably follow their example. But why deal with the media aspect of it? It’s absolutely horrendous. I still remember Beatrice and Eugenie being scrutinized for their weight and their looks (side-note: they only look bigger next to Kate, compared to the average woman the princesses are very slim), why put Louise through that?
I hope Charles keeps DOE forever. After the Commonwealth Service, Sophie can kick rocks. She can stay Countess.
I wouldn’t be at all unhappy with that outcome. She showed her true self that day. Why reward that behavior?
I believe Sophie and Edward want Louse to be a princess, press intrusion be damned. But I have a hard time believing that Louise wants it. She’s been able to have a private life and getting a title changes that because the press will demand access to her life.
I do feel sorry for Louise. It looks like she’s going to get a “royal” education.
Maybe I’m an awful person, but the Wessexes are in for a rude a awakening by campaigning for Louise to be called princess and become a working royal. People have ideas about how a princess should look like and Louise, I hate to say, is a bit homely. I mean look at all the grief that the York girls got. The pressure to live up to the title will be huge. I think Sophie and Edward are just setting her up for heartbreak. Or maybe I’m overthinking it and nobody will care what she’s called.
Then I’m awful too, because I totally agree with you. Louise is not conventionally attractive so if they push her to have a bigger profile the press will be merciless. I hope she gets an education and stays out of the spotlight.
I think 18th birthday is given because that’s when she’s an adult and can make the decision for herself instead of her parents having the final say. For example, if she wanted to be a Princess now and E&S say no, they win. Someone with more knowledge can correct me.
I don’t think she’ll be a HRH of her own choice. She seems to not want the spotlight. If her parents force her then it’s another thing but I truly hope they don’t.
Her parents cannot force her.
What kind of fame-hungry lunatic would want this for their kid? This is just bad parenting.
What a ridiculous thing to be concerned about! Titles! I worry about her life from here on in getting picked apart by the public and media. I hope she develops a thick skin quickly. I hope she decides to forego all of this and go to university to study something real and useful and becomes as independent as possible.
I feel so sorry for this poor girl. She has never sought the spotlight and has always come across as shy and uncomfortable in front of the press. I don’t care if she decides to be a princess or not, but let her carriage ride and live away from the media glare in peace.
I agree. She looks so scared and shy. They need to leave her alone, especially her pushy mother. Let her go to uni and enjoy being a kid for awhile longer!
She seems like a quiet country girl uninterested in fashion. When her older cousins (Zara, Beatrice, Eugenie) were her age they had already entered into the “fashion” gig (Zara’s was more sporty). They all seemed to be party girls. I think Louise is an introvert and large gatherings may make her miserable.
I would run as far as possible in the other direction. The brf is too toxic.
“He said: “If she puts her hand up and says ‘I want to take on board royal duties’, I’m sure the PR machine isn’t going to throw her into the spotlight. But she will certainly be able to work and go out and do that without any shadow of a doubt because there is enough to go around.”
How many times did Beatrice put her hand up and was promptly laughed out of Clarence House?
Except the Sophie PR machine absolutely wants to push her forward. For the family of course. Then a feral grin will spread across RepliKate’s face as she sees another scapegoat she can use to distract from what she hasn’t done this week (or has done to her face). Unless she’s been undergoing intense media training, they’re going to eat this girl alive.
I think the RF needs a new super-start and they’re desperate.
Sophie and Edward ought to be ashamed of themselves.
I could see claiming/using the HRH just to stick it to Charles and William and their slimmed-down monarchy dreams, but Louise needs to be kept as far away from all of this as possible. After the last 30 years of royal history, anyone should be wary of putting their daughter in the middle of this horrible circus. There are other ways to “serve” the monarchy besides being in the spotlight.
If Louise has no plan to go to university maybe she can be the family member who accompanies the Queen on her engagements.
It’s a shame if she does not go to University. I don’t know why she would not want the degree.Uncle Charles probably won’t let her do royal work anyway, if he let her get royal work and not the York Princesses, then there would be even more pressure on him to let the Yorks work. Which is something he decidedly does not want.
She could have a gap year and spend it doing engagements with TQ THEN do uni. Uni can wait. She’d probably learn a lot doing some form of work.
I think at Uni she would meet people her age. The gap year can also be for charity work not for royal engagements (I doubt Uncle Charles would allow it in any case).
“Charles wouldn’t be able to take her HRH away when he’s king. Or, he wouldn’t be able to do that very easily.”
Not so sure, Charles may want to divest Archie and Lilith of their titles and if he really wants to do that to them he can divest Louise and the other princes and princes of their titles as well, by changing the letters patent.
Theoretically, this could be applied retroactively because once the queen dies both Archie and Lili become automatically HRHs and a prince and princess.. This is why Charles cannot prevent them from becoming titled but can only divest them of their titles later on. Hence, to be fair all non-heir line grandchildren should have their titles taken away. For example, the York sisters, Prince Michael of Kent, princess Alexandra, etc.
But of course, Charles would likely only divest the biracial children of their titles. And, when Prince William becomes king, he can just change it back to apply only for his grandchildren.
I wonder if Sophie is like Carole, pushing and pushing her daughter. Sophie should let her daughter go to University
Lady Louise needs to live a semester with Harry and Meghan There are plenty of good schools and she would see how work is really done She would see a loving family playing and working together It will never happen because they are all too stupid to see the writing on the wall Meghan would show her how to be a real woman
Poor kid. If she’s booksmart I wish they would just let her go to university and like become a country equine veterinarian. I would love to see a Royal with a “middle class job.” But that’s unlikely for a bunch of reasons, I know.
Go to school Louise, meet a nice rich young man, and ride off into the sunset with him. You could work some posh job or start a horse charity for underprivlidged children. Just get out.
There is no suggestion that she wouldn’t be able to go to university. It will be her decision. The most likely outcome is that she will eventually embark on some kind of career and may possibily also have a role supporting the monarch. She is in a similar position to that of Princess Alexandra in the 1960s.
Most of those in the line of succession have middle class jobs. Prince Richard was an Accountant until his older brother’s death made him Duke of Gloucester with an official role.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester was/is a practicing architect.
Most women in this day and age do go to University. Had she grown up in the seventies, she would IMO have become a debutante and ‘introduced into society’ taken on some work and then married an aristo. There are more opportunities for women today.
Louise is a princess. She has been since birth. That is her legal entitlement as a grandchild of the monarch through her male line. Her parents merely made the choice for her as a child not to be known as such. She could decide whenever she wanted to change that and be known as Princess Louise.
There may be a time limit to this decision. For example when the monarch bestows an inheritable title the recipient can choose to renounce the title within 12 months of receiving it. After 12 months it becomes a permanent fixture and is passed down to every lawful heir. If there are no heirs the title reverts to the Crown, as will be the case with the Duke of York.
It may be that Louise now has a time limit of 12 months in which to decide. There does seem to be some emphasis on her making the choice as she reaches 18.