Lady Louise Windsor giggles as she gets back in the saddle one last time for final meet of the carriage driving season
Lady Louise Windsor was the striking image of her late royal grandmother Queen Elizabeth II as she picked up her horse's reins competitively for the last time this year.
The St Andrews graduate, 22, was nothing but smiles as she competed today in the Final Meet of the Carriage Driving Season in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire and Surrey.
Dressed in tweed-clad driving gear, the young royal affectionately stroked her black steed and gleamed as she steered the carriage towards the course.
Carriage driving has been a passion of Lady Louise's since she was taken for her first-ever carriage drive by her grandfather Prince Philip as a young girl. After retiring from the polo field in 2003, the Duke of Edinburgh turned to carriage driving in his 50s and competed well into his 90s.
The love of which was also shared by Queen Elizabeth II who occasionally got into the carriage, alongside her sister Princess Margaret.
From past to present, Lady Louise has always been surrounded by supporters cheering on her hobby – including from boyfriend Felix da Silva-Clamp.
The 22-year-old fellow St Andrews graduate has been seen smiling alongside his beau at carriage-driving competitions on several occasions this year, including The Sandringham Festival of Carriage Driving and Ashfields in Essex.
According to author Robert Jobson, 'onlookers watched him punch the air as she came through the water'. The royal expert added: 'Nothing royal about him, just a young man in love standing in a wet field in Essex, cheering his girlfriend on.'
Lady Louise Windsor competed in The Final Meet of The Carriage Driving Season as she drove her Carriage in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire and Surrey
The young royal affectionately stroked the nose of her black horse while dressed in tweed
The late Queen Elizabeth posed with her horse as an 18-year-old princess at Sandringham
The pair were first linked in 2024 and have been together since June 2025 but have kept things remarkably low-key – so much so that royal reporters simply called Felix Louise's 'pal' for a time.
Now they are appearing together at family events and royal engagements, but their quiet romance is a world away from the drama surrounding other royals.
They reportedly grew closer during rehearsals, with their friendship eventually blossoming into romance.
Yet, even after dating for over a year, the couple managed to keep things private.
That changed this summer when Felix joined Louise and her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, at a performance of the Zulu ballet Inala at the Edinburgh International Festival, where they were pictured chatting to cast members.
According to Mr Jobson, Felix's background makes him well-suited for Louise, given that her mother, Sophie, originates from a middle-class background.
Born in Kensington in 2004, he is the son of London solicitor Jonathan da Silva-Clamp, a former Conservative parliamentary candidate, and Australian doctor Kendall Searle.
The family later moved to Australia, where Felix attended Melbourne Grammar School before heading to St Andrews.
Despite being a frequent face at royal events, Lady Louise Windsor has kept largely out of the spotlight: her relationship with boyfriend Felix da Silva-Clamp
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, pictured carriage driving on day 1 of the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Home Park on May 10, 2017
He and Louise also joined the same reserve army unit and share interests including theatre and traditional Scottish dancing.
Their low-key relationship is a far cry from Prince Harry's 'Party Prince' days, when his nights out stumbling out of nightclubs and relationships with former girlfriends Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas regularly made headlines.
The same could be said for other relatives like Princess Eugenie, who earned a reputation in her early twenties as a regular on the London club scene, frequently photographed leaving popular West End and Mayfair hotspots.
Instead, it appears Lady Louise and Felix seem happy to keep their heads down and get on with life. And in many ways, that is very much keeping in line with Louise herself.
According to Mr Jobson, there has long been a striking resemblance between Lady Louise and her grandmother – both physically and in temperament.
He wrote: 'Some say it is her grandmother all over again. Elizabeth made up her mind as a teenager about a Greek prince with royal blood, Philip, even though he has no money and unhelpful German relations, and never moved an inch while the courtiers sniffed.
'Constancy and steadfastness was at the heart of her character, in marriage as in everything else, and it was perhaps underestimated.
'Like Lady Louise, Princess Elizabeth was a quiet girl who knew exactly what she wanted when it came to love.
Felix has supported Louise at carriage-driving competitions, including The Sandringham Festive of Carriage Driving
'People say Lady Louise looks like her grandmother. There is a resemblance. But the likeness that matters more is not in the face.'
Before her passing aged 96 in 2022, Louise was known as the granddaughter who spent huge amounts of time with the Queen, regularly staying at Windsor Castle during her childhood.
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