Lady Louise Windsor set to make history as first female royal to join military since late Queen - report

Georgia Brown
·3 min read
Lady Louise Windsor in a white dress and pink hairband
Lady Louise had her condition fixed through surgery (Chris Jackson)

Lady Louise Windsor is set to make history as the first female royal to serve in the military since the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh is keen on serving her King and country and has "fallen in love" with the Army Cadets, which she does alongside her studies at St Andrews University, per The Sun.

The young royal, 20, is a member of St Andrews' University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), which provides paid military training for students.

Lady Louise Windsor in a blue coat and blue hat
The late Queen's grandaughter is keen to pursue a career in the military (Mark Cuthbert)

As part of her training, she will be undertaking Reserve Officer training modules designed to fit around her degree, learning skills that will set her up for a career in the military after she graduates.

According to the UOTC, cadets learn everything from how to wear a uniform correctly to the ability to lead others in stressful situations.

Louise, who is eighth in line to the throne, says on her LinkedIn page: "I am interested in pursuing a career in the military, diplomacy, or law." 

You may also like

While other female royals, like Princess Anne and the Princess of Wales, hold military titles, these are honorary - neither have served in the military.

Lady Louise to follow in the footsteps of late grandmother

The daughter of Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie shared a close relationship with her grandmother, the Queen, so no doubt feels inspired by her unwavering loyalty to the Armed Forces.

As Princess Elizabeth, Her Late Majesty joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in 1945, becoming the first female member of the Royal Family to join the Armed Services as a full-time active member.

Princess Elizabeth changing the tire of a vehicle as she trains at as ATS Officer during World War Two, at the ATS training centre in 1945
Princess Elizabeth changing the tire of a vehicle as she trains at as ATS Officer during World War Two, at the ATS training centre in 1945 (Central Press)

Ever since Lady Louise started at St Andrews in 2022 she has taken a step back from the royal spotlight to concentrate on her studies.

St. Andrew's has always taken the privacy of its students incredibly seriously. Prince William's Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Lang, exclusively told HELLO! how he managed the future King under his care when he attended the university.

Prince William takes part in the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on December 15, 2006.
Prince William takes part in the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on December 15, 2006. (Getty)

He told HELLO!: "One thing that I did as soon as we knew William was going to be a student was to warn the student body that we expected them to respect the privacy of information.

"So, I made it quite clear to the students by doing an interview with the student newspaper, in which I emphasised that we would take a very, very dim view of any inappropriate information being passed on—not just about William, but about any other student."

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Lady Louise Windsor stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after attending Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024 in London, England
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Lady Louise Windsor stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after attending Trooping the Colour (Getty)

The last time Lady Louise was seen in public was during Trooping the Colour. The young royal looked radiant wearing the 'Kumiko Iris Silk Dress' from Suzannah London, sweeping her honey blonde locks into a neat ballerina bun.

Latest Stories