As she approaches her 21st birthday next month, royal fans may be wondering what the future holds for Lady Louise Windsor – and specifically, whether she will become a full-time working member of The Firm.
Louise, who has just started her third year at the University of St Andrews, is often viewed as a diligent young royal, a mini-me of her mother the Duchess of Edinburgh and someone who takes after her late grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, with her passion for horse riding and carriage driving.
But it seems unlikely that Louise is destined to ever become part of King Charles' monarchy, given his plans to keep senior working royals to a minimum, and Louise's ultra-private upbringing so far.
© Getty"I don't ever envisage her being a full-time working royal, or even a part-time working royal," Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, told HELLO!'s Royal Club. "She's a member of the royal family. She's the niece of the present King and will be the cousin of the future King.
"But I don't think she will play an active role in working royal life.
© Getty"I think she will attend royal events, but I don't see her undertaking her own engagements. I think she will very much do her own thing in the future.
"Now there's no reason for Louise not to be involved with charities, like her mother and father, but given her age, I think she can make those decisions by herself when the time is right."
Joe also pointed out that Louise has never been styled as 'Her Royal Highness' despite having that birthright, and that her parents Prince Edward and Sophie chose not to call her Princess Louise.
It doesn't seem in Louise's nature to want a public role, and therefore a public profile, Joe said. "She isn't well-known in comparison with other members of her family. She is perhaps slightly below the radar at the moment.
"I can't see why she would need or necessarily want a public role at this stage, because other members of her family are doing things in their own way and that's perfectly adequate.
"I just think her profile will continue to be pretty low."
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Louise's love for the military
While Louise still has two years left at university, only time will tell what career path she will follow. On her LinkedIn page, the 16th in line to the throne had previously stated she wished to pursue a career in law, diplomacy, or the military.
A report by The Sun over the summer also claimed that Louise is keen on serving her King and country and has "fallen in love" with the Army Cadets, which she does alongside her studies. She is a member of St Andrews' University Officers' Training Corps, which provides paid military training for students.
Louise is following in the footsteps of her late grandmother the Queen, who joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945, becoming the first female member of the royal family to join the Armed Services as a full-time active member.
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