Lady Louise Windsor and her brother James, Earl of Wessex’s "really important" moment was high-profile and had Duchess Sophie "holding her breath".
The Duchess of Edinburgh doesn’t often talk about her children at engagements so whenever she makes an exception it is always a special moment that gives new insight. Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex aren’t expected to become working royals like their parents and although they attend family events like Christmas and the Easter Sunday service, they generally live their lives outside of the spotlight. However, Lady Louise and James’s "really important" royal moment was watched by so many people - including their mum.
Speaking during her final royal engagement before turning 60, Duchess Sophie has reflected upon what it was like for her when her children stood in vigil by the coffin of their beloved "Granny" Queen Elizabeth in 2022, two days before her funeral. They joined all their cousins for this poignant moment and the Duchess described it as being "really important" for them.
As per The Telegraph, the Duchess of Edinburgh was invited to visit L’Arche by Richard Keagan-Bull, a campaigner and author of an autobiography called Don’t Put Us Away: Memories of a Man With Learning Disabilities. L’Arche builds communities for people with and without learning disabilities and Richard asked Duchess Sophie about this royal vigil before she left.
Describing the moment she saw Lady Louise and James standing there as "incredibly moving", she expressed how she was "just so proud of them" and of "all of the cousins". At the time Queen Elizabeth’s grandchildren held their vigil Lady Louise was 18 and James just 14 - and this had been something that was on Duchess Sophie’s mind beforehand.
"I suppose there was a part of me initially that thought, ‘Would it be appropriate for James, perhaps, to do it?’ because he was younger than the others, but he was really keen to do it." she continued. "And I think it was really important for him to do it, and obviously for Louise as well."
Duchess Sophie declared that "each and every one of them" did it "so well", before revealing she’d held her breath a little, willing them to be happy with how they’d honoured Queen Elizabeth.
She said, "I was slightly holding my breath, wanting them to feel that they’d done it well more than anything else. I wasn’t worried about anything happening; it was more that I wanted them to feel that they’d done their bit for their grandmother. It was incredibly moving, and lovely to see her surrounded by them."
Whilst they both prefer a high level of privacy, it was clear how much it meant to them both to stand alongside Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall at this vigil. Lady Louise and James are understood to have been very close to both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Duchess Sophie’s daughter actually made her TV debut in order to share her personal memories of her grandfather in the BBC’s 2021 Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers documentary.
"There was certainly an element of making my grandfather proud and honouring him by taking part in the award that has been so much of his life's work," she said, talking about taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award. "I definitely hope I have made him proud."
