What College Is Like For Lady Louise

She might not be a working member of the royal family, but Lady Louise Windsor carries herself like a princess in every way. While she chose not to accept a royal title on her 18th birthday, the daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has become increasingly popular since she stepped into the adult world.

With King Charles III's cancer diagnosis exposing the slimmed-down monarchy's vulnerability, some PR experts have pointed out that a youngin like Louise could be just what the monarchy needs to stay relevant during these troubling times. "As she [Louise] continues her university studies, her presence at royal engagements — albeit limited — suggests a careful introduction to public life, which is a strategic move," PR expert Renae Smith told Express.

Louise is one of the more relatable members of the royal family, thanks to some of the challenges she faced as a young child. Not only did Lady Louise have a very dramatic birth, but she was also diagnosed as a child with a rare health condition called esotropia and had to undergo surgery to correct her vision. Now that she's all grown up, she's attending the University of St. Andrews (where Prince William and Princess Catherine met and fell in love). Louise enrolled for a degree in English literature and started her studies in 2022. Here's everything we know about what the royal's life at university is really like.

Like many other students out there, Lady Louise Windsor had a summer job in the lead-up to her first year at university. The royal landed a part-time job at a garden center working as a cashier, earning £6.63 per hour. Unsuspecting customers were likely delighted to find the royal at checkout, and while Lady Louise lives a lavish life and probably didn't need the money, it's not unusual for royals to take summer jobs before they start college. Princess Beatrice, for instance, accepted an unpaid gig as an assistant personal shopper at Selfridges in 2008 before she set off for college. The job included shopping for VIPs, which probably helped her make invaluable connections.

Before Louise's attendance at St. Andrew's was set in stone, many wondered whether she would opt to take a gap year like Prince William did before he attended the prestigious school. The prince spent this time traveling and undertaking humanitarian endeavors, but it appeared that Louise was eager to get started on her degree. Some royal experts were impressed with her fortitude, with Jennie Bond telling OK! that Louise is very down to earth and her parents don't spoil her. "She was seen driving a second-hand Volkswagen Polo she reportedly saved up for," Bond told the outlet. "She seems to have nailed the art of being royal and extremely relatable at the same time. That is a credit both to her and to her parents."

Lady Louise Windsor was all set to start her first year at St. Andrew's when her grandmother Queen Elizabeth II died. Louise left campus to be with her family at Balmoral after receiving the devastating news. While her fellow students were getting ready to embark on a new adventure at university, Louise was supporting her family during a desperately sad time.

The days and weeks following the queen's death were filled with royal obligations and duties which Louise carried out with grace. She was seen attending prayer meetings with her family leading up to the funeral and was, of course, in attendance when the queen was laid to rest. This was no doubt a challenging time for Louise, who is said to have been one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite grandchildren. The two would go horse riding at Balmoral and the queen encouraged Louise's love of drawing. "The Queen loves the fact that Louise and James [Louise's brother] relish their time at Balmoral, and she has become particularly close to Louise, who seems to have become her favorite grandchild," a royal insider told The Sun in 2019. "Because of her obvious artistic skill, the queen allowed Louise to look through some of the collection of Queen Victoria's Highlands sketches which are kept at Balmoral but are rarely dug out these days," the source added.

Like most universities, St. Andrews welcomes its freshman students by getting them involved in first-year traditions, and it's likely Lady Louise Windsor took part in some of them.

At St. Andrews, first year students are made to feel extra welcome by having a "parent" assigned to them — an older student who can show them the ropes. Then there is the famous Raisin Weekend during which freshmen are encouraged to let their silly side come out and simply have fun. On Raisin Monday, freshmen are entertained by their student parents. They receive strange objects with Latin inscriptions after which they are all gathered to participate in a shaving foam fight. But there's a catch — they all have to be dressed in the most embarrassing outfit they can put together.

The beginning of the academic year isn't the only time freshmen are subjected to some fun and pranks — come May 1, they are encouraged to take a freezing dip in the North Sea as the sun rises. This tradition is performed as a good luck ritual for exams. Another tradition reminiscent of the ice bucket challenge is the soakings, which occur after a student finishes the last test of their final undergraduate exam. As they leave the examination room, their friends are on standby with buckets to soak them in cold water as a means to congratulate them on a job well done.

Going from her parents' 120-room Bagshot Park residence to St. Andrews' living quarters must have been quite an adjustment for Lady Louise Windsor. Depending on the accommodation they choose, undergraduate students at St. Andrews usually find themselves sharing a kitchen and bathroom with other students. When you grow up having an entire mansion to yourself, suddenly sharing a bathroom and kitchen might be a little daunting. Louise also grew up in a very protective environment, so she was bound to experience some sort of culture shock when she first started her studies at the university.

When Louise's mother Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live (via Woman & Home) in 2021, she admitted that she and her husband, Prince Edward, are pretty protective of their kids, but they don't prevent them from venturing into the real world. "She [Louise] doesn't really get involved with social media very much at all and that is purely her choice. I wouldn't deny her going onto it, but she's not really that interested in it," Sophie said. "She's very private." The duchess also explained that, despite her daughter's royal upbringing, she's not naive. "She's got her eyes fairly wide open, but inevitably there will be moments that may not go so well for her, I just hope we can be there to support her through those moments," Sophie said.

Lady Louise Windsor might have started a new life as a university student, but she still loves going back home to spend time with her family. During her February 2024 break from the University of St. Andrews, the royal was spotted hitting the slopes with her parents in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Lady Louise proved she's a style icon during the trip, wearing an aqua jacket paired with a lilac scarf as she had some fun in the snow.

Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, have regularly gone skiing with Louise and her brother, James, Earl of Wessex, and it appears Louise enjoys upholding old family traditions even as she ventures into the adult world. However, Louise might not be able to spend every break with her family. St. Andrews encourages its students to do some part-time work in their free time to bulk up their resumes so they've got some experience once they leave school, and Louise will likely find another summer job at some point to gain more work experience.

Since Lady Louise Windsor first started her education at the University of St. Andrews, several tragedies have struck the royal family. First, there was Queen Elizabeth II's death, and then, King Charles III and Princess Catherine were both diagnosed with cancer. With all signs indicating that Prince Harry has no plans of returning to the royal family, there's been speculation that the slimmed-down monarchy might need Louise to step into a royal role to help out. 

However, history has shown it's difficult to be a full-time student and working royal, and experts say Louise likely has no interest in dividing her attention between the two. Still, with all the family trouble, Louise might have found it a little difficult to keep her attention on her work, wondering if she might be called upon in the monarchy's time of need.

"Louise is only 20, she is enjoying university life and she undoubtedly casts an eye at her cousin, Zara Tindall, and sees the independence and freedom and fun she has in her life as a much loved member of the royal family, but not a working royal," royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! "I would bet that Louise will follow a similar course." Bond added that she's pretty certain Louise is determined to forge her own path and career in the future, and that her five-year plan doesn't include undertaking any royal duties.

Lady Louise Windsor has always known that she would most likely not become a working royal family. Her mother Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has made this abundantly clear to her daughter from a young age. It's also one of the reasons she chose not to give Louise a royal title when she was born. During an interview with The Times, Sophie said that she hoped Louise would attend university after school. "I wouldn't force her, but if she wants to. She's quite clever," the duchess said. She mentioned how well Louise was doing in school at the time. "She's working hard and will do A-levels," Sophie explained. "We try to bring them [Louise and her brother James] up with the understanding that they are very likely to have to work for a living. Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles," she added.

Even with Louise becoming more popular among royal pundits and the ongoing speculation that she might be called upon to fulfill some royal duties now that multiple members of the monarchy are down for the count, experts say that King Charles III is unlikely to ask her to step up simply because he's aware of how the public feels about the cost of the monarchy. Adding another member to its payroll will likely not go down that well with tax payers, royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK!

When lady Louise Windsor finished her first year at the University of St. Andrews in 2023, speculation was rife about her second-year living arrangements. At St. Andrews, first-year students get to live in the halls of residence on campus, after which they have to find alternative accommodation for their remaining years at the university. Prince William and Princess Catherine famously lived at St. Salvator's Halls of Residence, known among students as Sallies, during their first year. It's likely that Louise also lived here or at any of the other on-campus residences. First-year students who live at Sallies have plenty of perks. Not only do they not have to cook, but they also don't have to pause their studies to clean. Meals and cleaning services are provided.

Sallies has several glowing reviews, with students praising its proximity to some of the university's most-visited locations, like the library. "The dining hall is beautiful. Very social. All the rooms are regularly cleaned, as are the bathrooms," one review on Student Crowd reads (via Express). Going from living at Sallies to a private residence might be a bit of an adjustment if it doesn't include perks like professional cleaning and ready-made meals, but Prince William and Princess Catherine likely gave Louise some good advice on where to find the best off-campus accommodation.

While she was still at school, Lady Louise Windsor studied Drama, History, Politics, and English as her A-Level subjects, so it should come as no surprise that she's involved in theater at the University of St. Andrews. The school offers plenty of extracurricular activities, some of which Princess Catherine also participated in — she has previously spoken about how much she enjoyed joining the photography club — and it's likely Louise is a member of several clubs as well. Louise loves to draw and plays hockey, so she might be involved in similar activities at St. Andrews.

While not much is known about Louise's extracurriculars at university, it has been widely reported that she starred in a student theater production titled "Dragon Fever." It's said the production was a mix of "The Hobbit" and an Agatha Christie novel, and Louise landed the role of the witch Nilvana. Royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! that Louise's interest in the performing arts might come from her father Prince Edward who used to run his own production company back in the day.

Lady Louise Windsor might have a packed schedule with her studies and extracurriculars, but she still makes time to participate in something that brings her an immense amount of joy: carriage riding competitions — a passion she shared with her grandfather Prince Philip. "She is now almost as expert as he was and has even inherited two of his ponies and his carriage," royal commentator Jennie Bond told OK! Louise's mother Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has previously said that she admires her daughter's talent. "I trail in her wake, frankly. No, she is naturally so good at it, she really is. It's something that she has taken to very well," Sophie gushed (via OK!).

In May 2024, Louise competed in the Windsor Park Carriage Driving Trial, and royal fans couldn't get enough of her, taking to X to praise her horsemanship. "Beautiful! I hope they make her a working royal so we can see more of her!" one fan wrote (via Tatler). "Prince Phillip would be so proud," another added. Indeed he would, as Philip used to watch Louise compete at these competitions. "The Duke of Edinburgh has been so involved in my driving which has been so lovely, although slightly scary because he invented the sport pretty much. It's incredible to have learned first-hand from him," Louise once said in an interview (via OK!).

While Lady Louise Windsor competed in yet another horse carriage riding competition in June 2024, pundits were pleasantly surprised to see that she was accompanied by a university friend, who was later revealed to be Felix da Silva-Clamp. Louise was competing in the Sandringham Horse Driving Trials and brought da Silva-Clamp along for the ride! Louise took him for a spin on her carriage after competing in one of the two events. The two are said to have met while working together on the student theater production "Dragon Fever." While Louise played the part of the witch Nilvana, da Silva-Clamp portrayed the role of Mr. Owl. It appears the two hit it off since they are now spending time together outside of university.

Onlookers at the competition told Hello! that Louise and da Silva-Clamp appeared to enjoy each other's company very much. "They seemed very comfortable together. They were chatting and looking at each other all the way around," one person told the outlet. "They went for a couple of walks together in between her two events as well, they are clearly very close." Louise's mother Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, seems to approve of her daughter's new friend, with onlookers telling Hello! that da Silva-Clamp arrived at the competition with the duchess and that the two "looked very at ease with each other."