Lady Louise's 18th birthday means that the young royal now has to make an important decision about her title and whether she will be referred to as 'Her Royal Highness'.
- Lady Louise Windsor turned 18 on Monday, November 8, 2021.
- Lady Louise is one of the youngest of Queen Elizabeth's eight grandchildren.
- In other royal news, Princess Anne was called 'sexy' by a fan, see the 71-year-old's hilarious reaction revealed.
When regular teenagers turn 18, most of them are preoccupied with their newfound ability to go clubbing, buy alcohol (in the UK), and vote, but for one member of the royal family, their 18th birthday means a big decision must be made.
Lady Louise Windsor, the eldest daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie the Countess of Wessex, has just turned 18, and now needs to make an important decision about her title.
As a member of the royal family, Louise is entitled to use an HRH (Her Royal Highness) title. However, the Earl and Countess of Wessex decided when she was born that she would not use it and would instead be a Lady and her younger brother, a Viscount.
The couple wanted their children to grow up with a more normal lifestyle and expected them to have normal jobs as adults instead of being working members of the royal family.
In an interview with the Sunday Times (opens in new tab), the Countess of Wessex said, "We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living,” she adds. “Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely.”
In the interview, Louise's mother insisted that she and her brother have had a very normal childhood and are unlike other members of the royal family in that regard.
"They go to a regular school. They go to friends for sleepovers and parties. At weekends we do lots of dog walking and stay with friends. I guess not everyone’s grandparents live in a castle, but where you are going is not the important part, or who they are. When they are with the Queen, she is their grandmother," said the Countess.
Although the Countess seems certain that Lady Louise will not opt to use the title, as an adult this is entirely her decision.
If Louise decides against a royal title, she will not be alone. Her older cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips also do not use a royal title. This is because of an archaic royal tradition that means royal titles can only pass from the males in the family. As such, when Princess Anne's husband Mark declined a title, his children were also deprived of receiving an HRH title.
Lady Louise's other cousins, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie, all still use their titles. However, only Prince William's children have received royal titles. It is thought that once Prince Charles is King, Prince Harry's children Lilibet and Archie could be given titles if he so chooses.
Fans believe that Lady Louise Windsor is tipped to replace Prince Harry for this important royal role. However, Buckingham Palace has yet to make any formal announcements about what the 18-year-old's adulthood means for her role as a royal.
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