Lady Louise Windsor has taken after her late grandfather, Prince Philip, with her love of carriage driving and is frequently seen riding in Windsor Great Park, taking part in competitions or appearing in shows, such as the recently held Royal Windsor Horse Show.
The sport was taken up by the late Duke of Edinburgh after he retired from polo and sees one person drive a carriage that is hitched to one, two, or four horses.
Lady Louise's parents are frequently seen cheering their daughter on at events and have spoken about her being a "natural." This supporting and loving family environment which has been created by Prince Edward and Sophie has been praised by former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond.
In an exclusive conversation with OK!, Jennie said: “They nurtured Louise, I think a great deal. I think Louise has always held a very dear part in their hearts as any child does, but because it was such a difficult birth."
Jennie continued: "I remember exactly where I was when I got the call that Sophie was in real difficulty and that she had lost pints and pints of blood when she had Louise and she she almost lost her life. Louise, as I say, occupies a very special place in their lives, just as their son James does."
In her 36th week of pregnancy with Lady Louise – which came a year after The Duchess of Edinburgh was airlifted to hospital after suffering an ectopic pregnancy – Sophie suffered severe internal pains and was admitted to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. There, doctors found her to be dangerously ill from blood loss and performed an emergency caesarean.
Sophie almost died and was too ill to be moved to be with her baby for six days. When Lady Louise arrived, she weighed only 4lb 9oz, and spent two weeks in intensive care in a specialist neonatal unit at St George's Hospital, South-West London.
As for what the late Queen's youngest granddaughter is like, Jennie says: "I have not met Louise, but by all accounts, she's very down to earth, a very lovely person. Seeing her at the Windsor Horse Show must have all sorts of emotions because it is such a reminder of the Duke of Edinburgh.
"Louise owes all she knows about carriage driving to the Duke, and she had wonderful rides around Windsor Great Estate. He would tell her all sorts of stories as they drove and anecdotes and taught her pretty much all she knew about it. So it was, I'm sure, a mix of emotions for Edward and Sophie but they're doting and very proud.”
Lady Louise Windsor has followed in her late grandfather's footsteps and become a talented carriage driver. In 2020, The Duchess of Edinburgh spoke about her daughter's passion and said: "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."
The late Queen's granddaughter also spoke about her love for the sport and paid tribute to her grandfather in a rare appearance on the BBC documentary 'Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers.'
She spoke of the influence Prince Philip had on her carriage driving and said: “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.”
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