Lady Louise Windsor’s life away from Royal Family spotlight - garden centre job, boyfriend and university

Lady Louise Windsor’s life away from Royal Family spotlight - garden centre job, boyfriend and university The daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh has completed her studies at the University of St Andrews, and is set to take a gap year before finding her career path Lady Louise Windsor graduated from St Andrews University in Scotland yesterday, with her parents Sophie and Edward supporting her proudly. The eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh was at the college - where Prince William also attended - for four years, and is believed to be taking a gap year before finding her career path. Louise has grown up away from the Royal Family spotlight, and has no royal titles, as per the wish of her parents. Now, with her whole life ahead of her, some have predicted that Lady Louise could be the dark horse the Firm has been looking for. Others believe that Louise will keep clear out of the public eye, as she has done most of her life, and quietly support the monarchy from a far. With not much known about Louise, we have taken a look at everything we know about the young royal, and what lies in store for her future. St Andrew’s newest graduate After four years of study at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, Lady Louise graduated yesterday and celebrated with her proud parents, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. During her graduation ceremony, she took part in the university’s traditional ‘capping’ ritual, watched on by her parents. Then, Sophie and Edward smiled alongside their daughter as two official portraits were snapped to commemorate Louise’s achievements. Louise completed her English and international relations degree at the same university where Prince William and Princess Kate met in the early 2000s. Lady Windsor has had impressive results from her education, achieving an impressive 4 A* grades in her A-Level's - the highest of any member of the Royal Family - before heading to university in Scotland in 2022. Now that Lady Louise has completed her university studies, it is understood the young royal is now planning to take a gap year, where she will be carrying out a mix of working, volunteering and travelling. Dedication to Armed Forces During her time at university, Louise joined the University Officer Training Corps, as she showed passion to follow in her family's footsteps and be involved in the Armed Forces. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond previously likened Louise’s determination to that of her grandmother, the late Queen, who “was champing at the bit to do her military service”. Jennie added: "Lady Louise seems to have been keen on the military from an early stage in her undergraduate studies and the pictures show that she has thrown herself into the training exercises, including liberally camouflaging her face and proudly wearing combat gear. She is said to have loved every minute of her time as an officer cadet and is keen to turn it into a full-time career.” If Louise joins the military after completing her final year of university next year, Louise would be the first female royal to do so since the late Queen, who served as a Junior Commander with the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War Two. This was a position the late monarch cherished and had her dubbed Princess Auto Mechanic by the newspapers at the time. A hobby for horses Outside of her university studies, Louise has a passion for carriage riding: a hobby she shared with her late grandfather Prince Philip. In 2021, Louise made her public speaking debut in a documentary about Philip's life where she spoke about how she bonded with her grandfather over the sport. She said: "The Duke of Edinburgh has been so involved in my driving, but it's slightly scary as he invented the sport pretty much. But it's incredible to have learned first-hand from him and it definitely made us closer I think." Earlier this year, Louise started working quietly behind the scenes as one of the chief organisers at this year’s Royal Windsor Horse Show. The show, which is held in the grounds around Windsor Castle, is held each May and is said to have been one of the favourite events of Louise’s late grandmother, Elizabeth II. She began working at the horse show in May, where she has been described as a “great worker” with “no airs or graces”, as the job gave her a chance to pursue her hobby. Nick Brooks-Ward, Director of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, told Vanity Fair: “Lady Louise is one of the chief organisers, essentially operating a first concierge service. She’s a great worker and a real asset to the team with no airs or graces. It’s a proper paid job and there’s no special treatment because of who she is.” He added: "It’s wonderful that [Lady Louise] has continued this close connection and taken such an interest. She’s a great friend to the horse show, and we are very grateful to the King for letting us use his back garden, and we hope to see him at the show this year." A normal life Both Louise and her brother James have grown up away from the limelight, with their parents determined for their kids to have a normal childhood and experience at school. As such, neither Louise or James have royal titles. Speaking previously, mum Sophie said she felt it was ‘highly unlikely' that both Louise and her brother James, the Earl of Wessex would adopt their HRH titles once they reached 18. "We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living. Hence, we made the decision not to use the HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely," Sophie said. Sophie was correct in her prediction, as Louise did not adopt the title on her 18th birthday. Louise has always opted for a private life and to make her own way, as in the summer of 2022 while waiting for her A-Level results, she worked in a garden centre for £6.83 an hour. Shoppers at the time described seeing her working at the tills and praised her for being “polite and attentive.” Speaking at the time, one said: “I couldn’t believe it was Lady Louise — I had to look twice. "She is a really modest and sweet young woman who is polite and attentive to customers. She seemed to be loving the job. You’d never imagine the Queen’s granddaughter would take on a role working behind a till." Relationship rumours Throughout her last years at university in Scotland, rumours began to emerge that Louise had struck up a romance with fellow St Andrews student Felix da Silva-Clamp. The pair reportedly met while taking part in a student drama production at the school, and have kept the details of their alleged relationship under wraps. Felix was born in London to his British father and Australian mother in 2004. Then raised in Australia, he attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2017 to 2022 before heading to Scotland for university where he met Louise. Carriage driving coach Sara Howe, who claims to have regularly seen Louise competing on the circuit, told Hello! Magazine that Felix would often show up to support her. Howe said: “They're just lovely, and they've got their own privacy,” as she noted that they “certainly aren't put out on a pedestal and that nobody can go anywhere near them. They're totally the opposite from that.” During Louise’s graduation ceremony yesterday, she was spotted walking with her rumoured boyfriend, in images captured by the Daily Mail. Royal future With both Louise and her younger brother James growing up away from the spotlight that comes with being a member of the Royal Family, they have largely been shielded from the tireless work that comes with being a working member of the Firm. Despite her private life away from the royals, Louise has attended many of the biggest royal events in recent years, including her late grandmother’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, her uncle’s Coronation and Trooping the Colour parades. While they have occasionally joined their family for major events, they aren’t expected to become working royals like their parents. Royal expert Jennie Bond also believes both Louise and her brother will have careers away from the Firm, but could answer the call to undertake engagements when their cousin, Prince William, becomes King. Jennie said: "Edward and Sophie are keen that Louise and James should choose their own career paths. Sophie has said that she has brought them up to expect that they will have to pay their own way and make their own careers but I’m sure that in the years to come, if cousin William needs a few extra hands to the pump at any stage, Louise and James will be willing to help."