The Outdated Succession Rule Lady Louise Windsor & Her Brother James Are Bound By

Throughout British royal history, the laws of succession favored sons over daughters by prioritizing the eldest living son of a monarch or noble. They didn't always prevent a daughter from inheriting the crown or a title, but a girl's chances of becoming a ruler were slim. During the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's Parliament passed the Succession to the Crown Act to change the preference from sons to all oldest children.

The Act made history for royal girls, but it only applies to children born after October 28, 2011. Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh's first child, Lady Louise Windsor, was born in 2003, so she remains behind her younger brother James, Earl of Wessex, who was born in 2007. Lady Louise's younger cousins Princess Charlotte, Miss Mia Tindall and Miss Lena Tindall have secured their places ahead of their younger brothers because they were born after 2011. The only other royal in Lady Louise's situation is Anne, Princess Royal. As the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne is further down the line of succession than her younger brothers Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Prince Edward, and the same goes for their descendants.

Having a younger male child outrank an older female child might sound like a big deal, but it doesn't seem to be the case for the children of Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. When the prince was styled Earl of Wessex, he and Sophie didn't use the Prince and Princess titles with their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, born Viscount Severn.

Lady Louise Windsor still gets to enjoy some typical royal experiences, like the ability to attend an elite university. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews in 2026, like her older cousin William, Prince of Wales, two decades before. Lady Louise is also the first female royal to serve in the British military since her grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's service during World War II.

"We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living," Sophie explained in a 2020 interview with The Times. "Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it's highly unlikely." Although being the grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II makes them a princess and prince by birth, neither Louise nor James have chosen to be addressed as such after turning 18.