What Happens to Lady Louise When Prince William Becomes King?

One member of the royal family who is in the news a lot less than some is Lady Louise Windsor. Louise is the daughter of King Charles III’s brother, Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. This makes her the cousin of William, Prince of Wales.

As of this writing, Louise is a student at St. Andrews University studying English literature. College life for Louise is likely similar to college life for any other St. Andrews student, even with her family being literal royalty, and she had a comparatively normal upbringing. The summer before heading off to St. Andrews, she even had a job at a garden center. But will her low-key life last?

Similar to how Catherine, Princess of Wales’ absence in 2024 brought Princess Beatrice, another of William’s cousins, to the forefront, Louise could become more involved in royal engagements and responsibilities as time goes on. As Danielle Stacey, the Online Royal Correspondent for Hello! magazine, opined, “Lady Louise Windsor is carving out her own career, but she may be one of the cousins the Prince of Wales turns to when he becomes king. While it’s not known if she wants to become a full-time working royal like her parents, Lady Louise could represent the monarchy or attend engagements on behalf of William in the future.”

It’s worth noting that Lady Louise Windsor’s parents, Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, used to have non-royal careers. Sophie worked for a PR firm and Edward founded two production companies, one for theater and another for television, though neither was particularly successful. Being tricked by an undercover reporter was a scandal that nearly brought down Sophie, but she and Edward bounced back to become working royals on a full-time basis.

However, Louise’s parents did not raise her and her brother James, Earl of Wessex with the idea that they would become working royals someday. In a 2020 interview with The Sunday Times, Sophie explained how similar her children’s lives were to other kids’ lives. “I guess not everyone’s grandparents live in a castle, but where you are going is not the important part, or who they are. When they are with the Queen, she is their grandmother.” Sophie added that her children expect to hold down jobs as adults and grew up not using their HRH titles. “They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely,” she said.

It’s possible Louise, like her parents, could start out with a standard job and switch to royal life later on, perhaps when William, Prince of Wales becomes king — if that’s something he would want.

Lady Louise Windsor may not be asked to be a working royal if William, Prince of Wales, keeps King Charles III’s goal for a smaller selection of full-time royals. A source told Richard Eden of the Daily Mail William’s rumored plan: “When the older members of the family retire, His Royal Highness won’t be inviting anyone else to become working royals. It remains to be seen if he will even want his two younger children to be working royals.” They said William wouldn’t mind if he and Catherine, Princess of Wales were the only full-time royals when he’s king and she’s queen consort.

Jennie Bond, a former royal correspondent for the BBC, spoke to OK! in February 2024 on the state of the monarchy and Louise’s future in it. She said, “But I’m doubtful that lady Louise would ever become a full-time working royal, partly because I’m not sure she would want to, and also, because The King and William know only too well that the monarchy has to be increasingly accountable to the taxpayer.” Concerns about the cost of paying the royal family could keep William from giving his family members that promotion. Bond also pointed out that Louise might want a more casual royal life, like her cousin Zara Tindall.