Lady Louise Windsor

The Lady Louise Windsor (Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor;^[1] born 8 November 2003) is the elder child and only daughter of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex. She is the youngest granddaughter and second-youngest grandchild of Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. Lady Louise is currently ninth in line of succession to the thrones of 16 independent states (having been eighth in line at the time of her birth).

Early life

Lady Louise was born, prematurely, on 8 November 2003 (at 23:32 GMT),^[2] by the Royal Surgeon/Gynaecologist Marcus Setchell at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, after her mother was rushed there by ambulance from the couple's home at Bagshot Park, Surrey. She was delivered by emergency Caesarean section, necessitated by a placental abruption, causing severe blood loss to both child and mother, before her December due-date. The Countess of Wessex had previously suffered an ectopic pregnancy. Prince Edward was not present for the birth because it came so suddenly. Lady Louise was transferred to a neo-natal unit in St George's Hospital, Tooting, London as a precaution. Meanwhile, the Countess remained at Frimley Park Hospital until she was well enough to be released.

Lady Louise was released from hospital on 23 November and her name was announced on 27 November.^[3] She was baptised in the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle on 24 April 2004 and her godparents were: the Lady Alexandra Etherington, the Lady Sarah Chatto, the Lord Ivar Mountbatten, Rupert Elliott, and Mrs Urs Schwarzenbach.^[4][5]

Lady Louise is ninth in the line of succession to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms. Until her birth, the first ten positions in the order of succession remained unchanged for over 13 years after the birth of her cousin, Princess Eugenie of York in 1990.

Lady Louise was born with the eye disorder exotropia.^[6][7] In January 2006 it was reported that Lady Louise had undergone a 30-minute operation under general anaesthetic to correct the problem,^[8] but in 2009 it was once again reported that her parents had decided against this treatment.^[9]

She was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on 29 April 2011.^[10]

Education

Lady Louise attends St George's School, Windsor Castle, the same school that Princess Eugenie attended from 2001 to 2003 as a day girl.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 8 November 2003–present: The Lady Louise Windsor^[11]
  • also styled: The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor^[1]

Letters patent issued in 1917 (and still remaining in force today) assign a princely status and the style of Royal Highness to all male-line grandchildren of a monarch. Therefore, all else being equal, Louise would have been styled as Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Wessex. However, when her parents married, the Queen, via a Buckingham Palace press release, announced that (in hopes of avoiding some of the burdens associated with royal titles) their children would be styled as the children of an earl, rather than as princes or princesses. Thus, court communications never refer to her in terms of a princess of the United Kingdom, but simply as The Lady Louise Windsor.^[11] There are two opposing opinions as to whether or not Louise is "legally" a princess and Her Royal Highness: Some experts consider the Queen's press release to not have enough legal force to override the 1917 letters patent, whereas other experts contend that the Queen's will, however expressed, is law in matters of royal titles and styles.^[12] If the latter is the case, then the 1960 letters patent is also applicable and Louise bears (but is seldom styled with) the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.^[13]

Honours

In June 2008, to recognise a visit by her father to the Canadian province of Manitoba, the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba-in-Council named a lake in the north of the province after Lady Louise.^[14]

Ancestry

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} The Royal Household (27 April 2011). "The Royal Wedding Official Programme". Haymarket Network Limited. http://ph3.cerosmedia.com/1A4db970b10dbb6659.cde. Retrieved 27 April 2011. 
2. ^ "Royal baby born prematurely". BBC News. 8 November 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/8/newsid_3724000/3724342.stm. Retrieved 11 May 2010. 
3. ^ "Royal Wessex baby finally named". BBC News. 27 November 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3240966.stm. Retrieved 7 May 2010. 
4. ^ "Buckingham Palace press releases – Christening of Lady Louise Windsor". Royal.gov.uk. http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page3081.asp. Retrieved 15 October 2011. 
5. ^ "Yvonne's Royalty Home Page – Royal Christenings". Users.uniserve.com. http://users.uniserve.com/~canyon/christenings.htm#Christenings. Retrieved 15 October 2011. 
6. ^ "How Sophie's become the Queen's favourite". Daily Mail. UK. 10 July 2007. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-467092/How-Sophies-Queens-favourite.html. Retrieved 15 October 2011. 
7. ^ Elizabeth Sanderson (13 February 2011). "Sophie’s little Lady Louise picked as royal bridesmaid". Daily Mail. UK. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1356476/Lady-Louise-picked-Kate-Middletons-royal-bridesmaid.html. Retrieved 15 October 2011. 
8. ^ The Royalist – Lady Louise Windsor Makes A Rare Public Appearance
9. ^ "Edward Sophie's brave Lady Louise fairground attraction". London. http://replay.web.archive.org/20090519183125/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1183454/Edward-Sophies-brave-Lady-Louise-fairground-attraction.html. 
10. ^ http://royalweddings.hellomagazine.com/prince-william-and-kate-middleton/20110214488/kate-middleton-prince-william/royal-wedding-pippa-middleton/lady-louise-bridesmaid/
11. ^ ^{a b} Statement issued by the Press Secretary to the Queen: Announcement of the christening of Lady Louise Windsor - The official website of The British Monarchy
12. ^ "UK Royal Titles – The Wessex question". Ukroyaltitles.tumblr.com. 27 April 2011. http://ukroyaltitles.tumblr.com/post/4980797327/the-wessex-question-are-prince-edwards-children. Retrieved 15 October 2011. 
13. ^ 1960 Letters Patent - website Heraldica.org
14. ^ "Prince Edward begins Winnipeg visit". The Vancouver Sun (Canada). 2 June 2008. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/story.html?id=fd966f54-9c34-40d9-ba86-e9274cd753db. Retrieved 5 April 2010. 

External links

• BBC News- "Royal baby born prematurely"