At a time when King Charles' slimmed-down monarchy is more stretched than ever, you might expect his niece, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, to step up to the plate. Born eighth-in-line to the throne and now in 18th position after the birth of Princess Eugenie's baby, Louise, who has just graduated from the University of St Andrews, stands at a crossroads.
The 22-year-old daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh is enjoying the summer indulging in one of her greatest pastimes – carriage driving. But she is also at the start of her gap year, a rite of passage for many members of the royal family, and plans to spend the next few months working, volunteering, and travelling.
When the time comes to find a job, Louise will not be joining the family business, The Firm. Over two decades ago when her parents Edward and Sophie were starting their family, they deliberately decided to forgo HRH titles for their children – Louise also has a younger brother James, Earl of Wessex – laying the groundwork for a normal working life.
© University of St AndrewsA blueprint for the modern royal
Much like her older cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, who have successfully built careers in equestrianism and the private sector, Louise will likely enter the 'normal' workforce like her fellow graduates. And like Zara and Peter, she represents a blueprint for 21st-century royals – carving out an independent career on her own terms, while maintaining a warm relationship with the royal family.
"I don't ever envisage Louise being a full-time working royal, or even a part-time working royal," Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, told HELLO!. "She's a member of the royal family. She's the niece of the present King and will be the cousin of the future King. But I don't think she will play an active role in working royal life."
© Getty"I think she will continue to attend royal events," said Joe. Louise most notably joins the royal family at big occasions like Christmas and Trooping the Colour. "But I don't see her undertaking her own engagements," he added. "I think she will very much do her own thing in the future. Now there's no reason for Louise not to be involved with charities, like her mother and father, but given her age, I think she can make those decisions by herself when the time is right.
"She is entitled to be an HRH, but her parents chose not to use that style, or to call her Princess Louise, at birth. So, she's got to this stage in her life that I don't ever envisage her now taking them up."
© GettyShe'll have to 'work for a living'
Despite her lineage, it was never the plan for Louise to become a full-time or part-time working royal. Her mother Sophie once said that her children were "likely to have to work for a living".
Louise has already learnt to earn her keep. After completing her A-Levels, the then royal teen worked at a local garden centre in Surrey for minimum wage. Her duties included manning the cash register, greeting customers, and potting or pruning plants. She also took on paid administrative and event operations roles at this year's Royal Windsor Show, attending not just as a royal guest but as an employee. She joined frontline staff running a concierge service, assisting with office support, stewarding visitors, and directing traffic. And during her university years, she worked part-time in the canteen.
© Getty ImagesTo get into the University of St Andrews in the first place, Louise would have had to secure good grades. Standard entry requirements for the prestigious Scottish university, one of the UK's top educational establishments, are three grade As at A-Level. Her mother Sophie has previously said she was "working hard" at school and stated: "She's quite clever."
Non-royal careers to pursue
Louise has now successfully graduated with a degree in English and has no doubt closed her university chapter with fond memories of – academia aside – her time acting in amateur drama productions at the university's Byre Theatre, which is how she reportedly met her boyfriend Felix da Silva-Clamp, and her stint enrolled at the Officers' Training Corps, which provides paid military training for students.
© Getty ImagesWith a degree in English, a career in law or diplomacy would make sense. Louise herself has previously said on LinkedIn that she would like to pursue a career in either field, if not the Armed Forces. If Louise were to join the military, one member of the royal family she'd be taking after is her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who was a Junior Commander with the Auxiliary Territorial Service in the Second World War. Louise would also make history as the first female royal to serve since her late grandmother.
Carriage driving will most likely remain one of her passions. Growing up in the family home, Bagshot Park, south of Windsor, Louise regularly spent time with her late grandparents, the Queen and Prince Philip, and shared their love of horses, dogs, and outdoor pursuits. "When we would go carriage driving, he'd take me on a different route every day, and he would also tell me all sorts of anecdotes about anything and everything," Louise has previously said of her grandfather Philip, who introduced her to the sport. "He's honestly one of the most interesting people I've ever met."
Sara Howe, who owns and runs the Bradbourne Riding & Training Centre in Sevenoaks and often sees Louise at competitions, has also remarked to HELLO!: "She's doing extremely well with the time and the commitment of everything else she has to do. She certainly tries. She gets frustrated when it goes wrong, like the rest of us do. So she still goes home and practises and comes back and there's an improvement. She looks more than good."
© GettyAn asset to the royal family
Louise may not know what she wants to do yet, and has a gap year ahead of her, but more importantly she has been given the freedom to choose how she earns a living, like her older cousins Zara and Peter. "I have to let her live her life," her mother Sophie once said. "I can only equip her the best I can and then she has to make her own choices."
Having come this far without being styled Her Royal Highness, it seems increasingly unlikely that Louise will play a formal role in her cousin Prince William's reign. She will most probably continue the pattern of attending royal family events, but not actually become a full-time working royal.
What's certain, however, is that Louise's gentle manner and quiet confidence have made her an asset to the royal family, and her modest personality has endeared her to the British public. She's come a long way from the sweet seven-year-old bridesmaid at Prince William and Catherine's royal wedding, to becoming the naturally poised and elegant young woman that she is now.
As royal photographer James Whatling, who has photographed Louise countless times, once aptly told HELLO!: "She has gone from a relatively shy young woman to someone who's ready for the challenges ahead of her. As a working or nonworking royal, she's still going to be able to shine a light on things that excite her."
