Lady Louise Windsor's eyes: everything you need to know about the rare eye condition she was born with

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's daughter Lady Louise Windsor is becoming more prominent in the royal spotlight as she gets older, helping to support the royals following the death of the late Queen in 2022 and also joining her family on their annual Christmas walkabout in Sandringham.

But did you know the royal underwent major surgery at just 18 months old as she was born with esotropia?

Lady Louise's eye condition

The College of Optometrists in Vision Development explains: "Esotropia is one of several types of Strabismus, which is the condition of eye turns or deviating eyes. Esotropia is the most common type of Strabismus, occurring in approximately one to two per cent of the population."

© Max Mumby/Indigo

Aside from surgery, there are other treatment routes that the family could have opted for. According to the NHS, "glasses and patching" and "botox injections to prevent the eye muscle from becoming too light" can also be effective.

It adds that some squints can "improve as the child gets older", but it's unusual that children will grow out of it.

What is esotropia?

Esotropia, causes a squint in one eye that turns inwards, according to the NHS. Although it's not known what causes the condition, it's believed that a premature birth can be behind it, and Lady Louise was born four weeks prematurely. Speaking to the Sunday Express, Sophie said: "Premature babies can often have squints because the eyes are the last thing in the baby package to really be finalised."

© Mike Marsland

The condition affects two per cent of the population.

What kind of surgeries did Lady Louise get?

At 18 months old, Lady Louise underwent surgery to correct her vision. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful. "Her squint was quite profound when she was tiny," said the Duchess. "And it takes time to correct it. You've got to make sure one eye doesn’t become more dominant than the other."

© Chris Jackson

Lady Louise went on to have a second procedure in 2014, when she was ten years old, and her vision was overhauled. "She's fine now – her eyesight is perfect," Sophie added.

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