Lady Louise Windsor drives herself to Windsor Great Park as Sophie supports her at the final carriage-driving meet of the season

Lady Louise Windsor was behind the wheel before she took the reins.

The 22-year-old royal drove her Land Rover Discovery Sport herself to Windsor Great Park on Sunday, October 4, where she competed in the final carriage-driving meet of the season. Later, she swapped the SUV for her pony-drawn carriage as her mother, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, stayed close by to support her.

Louise appeared relaxed and confident as she navigated the Berkshire estate, a notable change from the days when she was chauffeured to some of her equestrian competitions.

A graduate of the University of St Andrews, Louise is currently taking a gap year. She arrived at the event in a casual outfit of a white blouse, light grey jeans, brown ankle boots and a navy jumper, completing the look with a riding helmet.

Sophie, 61, later joined her daughter on the course. The Duchess walked alongside Louise’s carriage and pony as the two chatted, appearing relaxed during the closing event of the season.

Sophie opted for a grey sweater, checked jacket and slim-fit white trousers tucked into boots.

The mother and daughter share a long connection to the sport, but for Louise, carriage driving has an especially personal family history.

A passion passed down from Prince Philip

Louise was introduced to carriage driving by her grandfather, Prince Philip, who took her on her first drive.

The late Duke of Edinburgh developed a deep interest in the sport after giving up polo in 2003 and continued competing well into his 90s. His influence has remained an important part of Louise’s own involvement in carriage driving.

After Philip’s death in 2021, Louise inherited his carriage and ponies, allowing her to continue a sporting tradition they had shared.

Her connection to the discipline also links her to her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and her great-aunt, Princess Margaret, who both shared a love of carriage driving.

Louise has competed regularly over the years and has often had family and friends watching from the sidelines.

Among those supporters has been Felix da Silva-Clamp, her fellow St Andrews graduate, who has been seen cheering her on at several carriage-driving competitions this year, including the Sandringham Festival of Carriage Driving and Ashfields in Essex.

Author Robert Jobson previously described Felix’s enthusiastic support at one event, recalling how he celebrated as Louise came through the water during a competition in Essex.

The relationship between Louise and Felix has attracted increasing attention precisely because the pair have otherwise kept their private lives out of the spotlight.

Louise and Felix keep their relationship private

Louise and Felix were first linked in 2024 and have reportedly been together since June 2025, although their relationship remained largely out of public view for some time.

Royal reporters initially referred to Felix simply as Louise’s friend or “pal”, reflecting how quietly the pair had conducted their relationship.

They are understood to have become closer while rehearsing for a university play at St Andrews, where their friendship eventually developed into a romance.

In recent months, however, Felix has appeared alongside Louise at a number of family and public events.

This summer, he joined Louise and her parents, Prince Edward and Sophie, at a performance of the Zulu ballet Inala during the Edinburgh International Festival. The group was pictured speaking with members of the cast.

The couple’s discreet approach has contrasted with the much more closely followed social lives of some other members of the royal family when they were younger.

Jobson has suggested that Felix’s background also makes him a natural match for Louise. Born in Kensington in 2004, Felix is the son of London solicitor Jonathan da Silva-Clamp, a former Conservative parliamentary candidate, and Australian doctor Kendall Searle.

His family later moved to Australia, where he attended Melbourne Grammar School before moving to Scotland to study at St Andrews.

Felix and Louise also joined the same reserve army unit and are said to share interests including theatre and traditional Scottish dancing.

Their relationship has therefore remained relatively understated, even as Felix has become a familiar face at Louise’s carriage-driving events.

A quieter path for Lady Louise

That low-key approach is also consistent with Louise’s own public profile.

Unlike some members of the younger generation of the royal family, she has generally kept away from the spotlight and has maintained a relatively private life despite being the niece of King Charles III and granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II.

Jobson has drawn a comparison between Louise and her grandmother, suggesting that the resemblance is as much about temperament as appearance.

He wrote that some people see Louise as reminiscent of the young Princess Elizabeth, particularly in her quiet nature and determination once she had made up her mind.

The comparison was also connected to Elizabeth’s relationship with Prince Philip. According to Jobson, Elizabeth remained steadfast in her decision to marry Philip despite concerns among courtiers about his background and financial circumstances.

He argued that the quality of constancy was central to Elizabeth’s character, and suggested that Louise displays a similarly quiet determination.

For Louise, that family connection went well beyond a resemblance noted by royal observers.

Before Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 in 2022, Louise was known to have spent considerable time with her grandmother. She regularly stayed at Windsor Castle during her childhood, giving the two a close relationship away from the formal demands of royal life.

Her continuing involvement in carriage driving has kept another part of that family connection alive.

At Windsor Great Park this weekend, Louise moved easily between two very different kinds of driving: first taking control of her Land Rover Discovery Sport, then returning to the sport she has inherited from her grandfather.

With Sophie walking beside her and supporting her through the final meet of the season, the day brought together several strands of Louise’s life: her growing independence, her equestrian interests and a family tradition that began with Prince Philip.