Lady Louise Windsor picked up Prince Philip's favourite hobby as the royal is known for her love of carriage driving. On Friday, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh was seen in Essex as she competed in the National Carriage Driving Calendar. She wasn't joined by her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who are likely with other members of the royal family as they spend time in Balmoral ahead of their return to their official duties.
Lady Louise was at the Ashfields Carriage and Polo Club where she was seen looking incredibly focused as she steered her carriage. Although at times the 21-year-old royal was seen cracking a smile, the rest of the time it was clear how much effort she was putting into the competition. It's believed that her close friend, Felix da Silva-Clamp, was not present at the event, which was open to the public. See photos below…
Love of carriage driving
The daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh inherited her love of carriage driving from her late grandfather, Prince Philip. Philip first introduced the sport to Sandringham in 1982, aiming to bring his passion for carriage driving to one of his favourite royal residences, and he was regularly seen teaching Lady Louise when she was a teenager.
When Philip passed away in April 2021, he left her his polished dark green four-wheeled carriage and his Fell ponies, Balmoral Nevis and Notlaw Storm to Lady Louise. Back in 2019, the late Duke of Edinburgh was part of the crowd when Lady Louise finished in third place in the Private Driving Singles carriage drive at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.