The Earl and Countess of Wessex‘s daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, gave her first TV interview as she revealed the close bond she shared with her late grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh. And royal fans were delighted by the young royal’s debut.
Speaking on BBC One’s documentary, Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, which aired on Wednesday, the 17-year-old royal spoke about following in the Duke’s footsteps with her love of carriage driving.
Lady Louise said: “The Duke of Edinburgh has been so involved in my driving which has been lovely, but slightly scary because he invented the sport pretty much, but it’s incredible to have learned first-hand from him and definitely made us closer, I think.
“After a competition, he would always ask how he went, his eyes would light up because he would get so excited when he talks about it.”
One Twitter user called Lady Louise a “great asset” to the royal family, while another commented: “Very impressed with Lady Louise, lovely girl, well-spoken.”
A third added: “It was lovely to see Lady Louise, it was clear that she was very close to her grandfather.”
The Duke played polo until 1971 when he discovered carriage driving and was credited with bringing the sport to the UK. He represented Britain in three European championships and six world championships.
Back in 2019, Prince Philip was pictured proudly watching his granddaughter compete in the Private Driving Singles carriage drive during the Royal Windsor Horse Show, where she achieved third place.
Lady Louise recalled fond memories with her grandfather, adding: “When we would go carriage driving, first of all, he’d take me on a different route every day and I did not how he’d manage to do that but he would also tell me all sorts of anecdotes about absolutely anything and everything. He’s honestly one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.”
The documentary was filmed in early 2021 and was originally conceived as part of the Duke’s 100th birthday celebrations. It was altered after Philip’s sad death in April and now features interviews with his family recorded before and after his passing.
