The Queen and the Countess
of Wessex proved they’re just like any other doting grandmother and
mother, as they proudly watched Lady Louise Windsor, 18, carriage driving
at the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Friday.
Her Majesty and her
daughter-in-law Sophie both had front row seats for the event, alongside Prince
Edward, with Sophie snapping photos of her daughter as her horse and
carriage trotted past.
The Queen, who was snug under
a cosy check blanket, was all smiles as she watched her granddaughter partake
in the event and show off her carriage driving skills in a sport that was a
favourite of Louise’s late grandfather Prince Philip.
In fact, the Duke of Edinburgh
was key in establishing carriage driving as a sport in the UK.
The late royal raced carriages
near Norfolk in the 1970s before going on to represent Britain at several world
and European championships, explaining he took up the pastime after retiring
from polo in his fifties.
The Queen proudly watched Lady Louise’s carriage driving
Of the sport, Prince Philip
said in 2017: “I was looking round to see what next, I didn’t know what
there was available. And I suddenly thought, well, we’ve got horses and
carriages so why don’t I have a go.
“So I borrowed four
horses from the stables in London, took them to Norfolk and practised and
thought – why not?”
Sophie Wessex watched her daughter proudly
It’s no surprise then, given
her late husband’s interest and her granddaughter’s prowess, that carriage
driving was one of the events the Queen opted to watch during her surprise
appearance at the show.
The Queen arrived at the event
by car, and the crowds cheered and gave a round of applause as the royal made
her way to her seat with a walking stick.
The Queen looked in great spirits at the event
She had arrived to watch the
Highland Class 64 event and her horse Balmoral Leia, a five-year-old grey dun
mare, was named the winner and was later announced as a supreme champion.