Lady Louise and James may be royal kids, but their lives could not be any more different from the rest of their royal cousins. While many royal births happen in private hospitals, Louise and James were born in a National Health Service facility. They also do not use their HRH titles like the rest of the family.
While they are as much part of the royal family as every other one of their cousins, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex’s two children, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn, could not be more different than their royal cousins.
Louise and James’ lives appear to take a different path from the rest of the royals, a notable trend since their births in 2003 and 2007, respectively.
As is the norm with all royal children, the births often occur at private hospitals, presumably for added seclusion. Princess Diana had her babies at the Lindo Wing of London’s private St Mary’s Hospital, while Meghan Markle, Princess Eugenie, and Sarah Ferguson had theirs at Portland Hospital.
However, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, had her babies at the Frimley Park NHS Hospital in Surrey. The two youngest grandchildren of the Queen, who have always kept a low profile, have also been part of royal duties and were special attendants at their elder cousin, Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank.
The then 14-year-old Louise was entrusted with the special role of helping the younger bridesmaids and pageboys up the stairs of St. George’s Chapel and keeping them in line. At 7, she attended her cousin Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding as a bridesmaid.
Besides domestic and familial duties, Louise and her brother were also part of their parents’ tour to Africa. The pair had their first royal engagement alongside their parents during their tour to South Africa in 2015, where they visited the Ubunye Foundation, a cause her mother, Sophie, patrons.
Louise and James have also been honored greatly over the years. During a visit to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Prince Edward received the surprise gift of the framed notices naming two Northwestern Manitoba lakes after Lady Louise and James.
While that happened when Louise was only four years and James was but a 5-month-old toddler, one cannot help but wonder, how are their lives now?
Lady Louise and James’ Lives Today
Growing up as a member of the royal family is no easy fit, but doing so in the social media era is a different story altogether. Lady Louise and James are no exception to the burdensome life that is social media. But luckily, they have their parents to help them navigate it.
Sophie shared that Sophie, who is ardently involved in charity works, has often opened up about how motivated she is by the young people she meets through her works of charity.
As patron of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and Childline, she is familiar with the ways in which adults can help their children navigate different challenges.
She recognizes social media as one of the most challenging fronts faced by young people, and with that knowledge, she is more than glad to help her children through it once they start using it.
While her children are not allowed into social media yet, Sophie says when the time comes, she will teach them the correct tools to help them understand and navigate it successfully.
She understands that openness is one way to support her teenagers and advocates for her children to feel free to discuss their issues and worries with her without fear of judgment. She said:
“It’s so important that young people have adults in their lives who support and affirm them. Particularly when the virtual world can be, at times, unkind.”
In the spirit of openness, the countess shared that she and her husband try to raise their children to understand that, despite being royal, they are likely to work for a living. For that reason, they decided not to use the “Her/His Royal Highness” (HRH) titles on their children.
While they still hold the titles, it is up to Louise and James to use them once they are 18. However, Sophie says her children are unlikely to use the HRH titles and are not expected to grow up to carry out official duties.
That way, they are free to choose a different path in life without having to carry the title unwillingly. Louise is already paving her path through life. She recently received her A Level results and will start at St Andrews University in September, where she will study English.
Letting Lady Louise Live Her Life
It is not unusual for parents to be protective of their children, and it is no different for Sophie. She revealed that while she tries to involve her daughter in conversations and other meaningful causes, she still hoped her daughter would maintain a particular level of privacy.
Growing up in the limelight is hard, especially for people of the royal family, who can never get away from the spotlight no matter how hard they try. With this fact in mind, Sophie hoped her daughter would have a level of privacy that she would be comfortable with in the future.
However, she also recognizes that Louise will eventually be out of her mother’s care and have to pave the way and make tough choices for herself. She shared:
“I have to let her live her life. It’s not mine to live.”
And Louise has already been faced with some of those hard decisions. In 2020, Louise, a keen rider, who shared her passion with her late grandfather Prince Philip, had to give up her hobby of riding carriages for a moment.
Like many others her age, she had to focus on her school exams. While she loved and always felt honored to participate in riding pageants and competitions, she prioritized school.
However, she has since continued riding and continues to carry on one of her grandfather’s passions. Nearly a year after his demise, she participated in the British Indoor Carriage Driving Championships, taking sixth place in the junior novice division.
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