Will Lady Louise Windsor Uphold Queen Elizabeth's Military Legacy? | Vanity Fair

Since 2022, Lady Louise Windsor has been following in the footsteps of her cousin Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton by attending their alma mater, University of St Andrews on the east coast of Scotland. Louise, the daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is starting her third year at the university, but alongside her studies, she might have found a way to emulate her late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

On Sunday, The Sun reported that Louise has “fallen in love” with Army Cadets at the school and is now making plans to serve her country. If Louise enlists in the military, she will be the first Windsor woman to do so since the late queen joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service to serve as a mechanic during the final months of World War II.

A friend told the tabloid that she is talking about her future plans during her time at St Andrews. “She talks about being very keen on a career in the military, serving the King and country,” the friend said. “She is all about the Army Cadets and has fallen in love with it.”

Louise’s mother, father and younger brother, James, Earl of Wessex, are staying at the Balmoral Estate as guests of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and they were all spotted on the way to church with Kate and William on Sunday. Sophie and Edward live in Bagshot Park, a short drive away from William and Kate’s Windsor home, and last week, The Sun reported that the Sophie has been spending time with her great-niece, Princess Charlotte, in the months following her mother’s cancer diagnosis, and Louise joined Charlotte and Sophie for a recent shopping trip on King’s Road in London.

“There is a really warm connection between Sophie and her great-niece, which is very touching,” said a senior royal source. “Louise adores Charlotte too, but doesn’t see as much of her as she is mostly away in Scotland.”