Lady Louise Windsor, the eldest daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has revealed her ambition to join the military.
Following her late grandmother’s lead, King Charles’ 20-year-old niece would be the first female royal to serve in the military since the Queen.
The young royal is currently studying English literature at St Andrews University, where she’s also said to be an avid member of the Officers’ Training Corps.
“She talks about being very keen on a career in the military, serving the King and country,” Louise’s friend told The Sun.
“She is all about the army cadets and has fallen in love with it.”
Louise will complete her final year of university next year. And if she chooses to join the military, she will be following in the footsteps of a long line of brave royals before her, including her very own father.
Here, we look at all the members of the royal family who served in the military.
THE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY THAT HAVE SERVED IN THE MILITARY
01
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth, then Princess, joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in 1945, making her the first female member of the Royal Family to join the Armed Services as a full-time active member.
During World War II, she served as a junior commander with the ATS. Over her military career, the Queen held more than 50 ranks and appointments in the UK and Commonwealth Armed Services.
She spent many of her working years visiting military bases and ships in the UK and overseas, meeting members of the Armed Forces and their families.
02
Prince Philip
Prince Philip had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy that began in 1939, where he joined from Dartmouth. Then he won the prize for best cadet, the beginning of his swift rise through the ranks.
The late Duke of Edinburgh served as First Lieutenant during the Second World War. And he was a serving naval officer when he married then Princess Elizabeth in 1947. The Duke of
Although the royal gave up his active naval career in July 1951, he remained closely connected to, and actively interested in, every branch of Service life throughout his life.
03
King Charles
In September 1971, then Prince Charles embarked on a naval career. A move that saw him following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and both his great-grandfathers.
After completing the six-week course at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, he began service on the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk and two frigates.
The Prince qualified as a helicopter pilot in 1974 before joining 845 Naval Air Squadron, which operated from the Commando carrier HMS Hermes. On 9 February 1976, The Prince took command of the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington for his last nine months in the Navy.
His Majesty The King remains a strong supporter of the Armed Services to this day. He promoted the role of the Armed Services, supports the welfare and interests of Service personnel, veterans and their families and works diligently to maintain the history and heritage of the Armed Forces.
04
Prince William
Prince William joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) after graduating from university in 2005.
After a 44-week course as an Officer Cadet, the Prince of Wales was commissioned as a British Army Officer in December 2006.
He then joined the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) as a second Lieutenant, commanding a troop of four Scimitar-armoured reconnaissance vehicles. He was promoted to Lieutenant one year later.
In 2008, William went on to undertake attachments to the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. With the RAF, he learned to pilot helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. His two months with the Royal Navy saw him performing shore training and navigation with sailors and the Royal Marines.
After leaving operational duties, Prince William became patron of the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Honorary Air Commandant of Royal Air Force Coningsby.
05
Prince Harry
The Duke of Sussex spent a decade in the army, undertaking two tours of Afghanistan, rising to the rank of Captain and qualifying as an Apache Aircraft Commander.
While he left the Armed Services in 2015, he remains committed to his military roots. He went on to found the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick service personnel. He was recently honoured at the 2024 ESPY Awards for his tremendous work with the Games.
Even more, the King’s youngest son serves as the global ambassador for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a British charity supporting children whose parents have died while serving in the armed forces.
06
Prince Edward
Louise’s dad Prince Edward followed in the footsteps of his father Prince Philip, who, over his lifetime, earned the respect of the Armed Forces with a career that saw him serve in the Royal Navy during World War II.
The Duke of Edinburgh spent three years in the Royal Marines as an officer cadet before leaving the armed forces after graduation to pursue a career in theatre production.
Although he did not serve in the military, Edward holds eight military titles as well as his late father’s.
