Lady Louise Windsor is in love? Photos with Felix Robert da Silva-Clamp

She is the image of refinement and the quintessence of English nobility, so much so that some commentators have often compared her style to Elizabeth II, for that reserve and simplicity that were the distinctive traits of the last queen. We are talking about one of his granddaughters, perhaps the most beloved: Lady Louise Windsor, the twenty-year-old daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie (now respectively Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh).

A few days ago, Lady Louise was photographed, during her debut at the Sandringham Horse Driving Trials, at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, while she was competing in her favorite sport, carriage driving. The young woman, this time, seemed particularly radiant and it was immediately clear why: next to her stood a handsome boy with reddish hair, who the newspapers immediately indicated as her alleged boyfriend. Tall and thin, with casual clothes and a distinguished air, the mysterious boy, according to the English media, is called Felix Robert da Silva-Clamp and is a university companion of Lady Louise.

The photos, which appeared in the English media, portray Felix who, relaxed, first chats with the Duchess of Edinburgh and then, amused, takes a carriage ride with Lady Louise along the race route. The couple appeared very cheerful, close-knit and smiling. “They seemed comfortable together,” one of those present at the event told Hello! magazine. “They were chatting and looking around. They looked very intimate.”

United by a passion for theatre

The two boys are thought to have met at St. Andrews University in Scotland, where the daughter of the Dukes of Edinburgh studies English literature. The spark seems to have been struck by shared passion for theatre. Lady Louise, like her father Edward, loves acting and earlier this year the pair put on a play, Dragon Fever, at the university’s Byre Theatre. The story follows nine people on a quest to slay a dragon, with twists, puzzles and romance all in the mix.

In the play, described as “an ambitious mix of Agatha Christie mystery and Tolkien’s The Hobbit”, Lady Louise played Nilvana, the “powerful and cynical witch” and, according to student newspaper The Saint, the young royal “displayed an incredible stage presence that delivered a convincing performance”. Felix also delivered a stellar performance as Mr Owl. Photos of the couple taking a selfie and posing with their arms around each other at the St Andrews post-show student party also circulated on social media.

Not much is known about Felix and this fuels even more curiosity among royal fans. According to some accounts on X, the young man grew up in the chic Kensington-Chelsea neighborhood of London. His father, Jonathan Charles William da Silva-Clamp, is a lawyer and his mother is Australian. The boy studied at Melbourne Grammar School in Australia and now, in addition to his university studies, he works part-time at Jannettas Ice Cream Shop in St. Andrews. A colleague of his described him as “a lovely person”. He certainly seems like the ideal guy for Lady Louise with whom he apparently shares the same simple and genuine spirit. Together they are very sweet and remind a bit of Peynet’s two boyfriends.

The meeting at St. Andrews University like William and Kate

The Scottish university, located in a small village overlooking the North Sea, once again offered the ideal setting, away from prying eyes, for the birth of a new possible love story between a member of the Royal Family and a commoner. Years earlier, the same university saw the blossoming of love between Prince William and Kate Middleton, who met and fell in love at the prestigious university and then got married in 2011, with a historic ceremony, in which Lady Louise, still a child, was the bridesmaid.

The Prince and Duchess of Wales attended St Andrews from 2001 to 2005, taking the same History of Art course. although William switched to geography after his first year. The official story goes that they first met in St. Salvator’s Hall, the halls of residence better known as the Sallies, in September 2001. “I think I blushed when I met you and ran away, feeling very embarrassed to see you,” Kate told William years later in the interview in which the couple announced their engagement. “At St. Andrews we were friends for over a year at first and then everything blossomed. We just spent more time together, had a lot of laughs, had a lot of fun and realised we had the same interests.”

Today Lady Louise seems to be following in her cousin’s footsteps (hopefully in love too!) after being admitted to the prestigious Scottish university, considered the best in the United Kingdom, thanks to the excellent results the young woman obtained in her A-Levels in English, history, politics and drama.

Prince Philip’s love of carriages

Felix wanted to be there and cheer on his special friend at the Sandringham Horse Driving Trials, the sporting event, of which Sophie has been appointed president, which always takes place the weekend after Royal Ascot. Lady Louise is an accomplished coachman and won the silver medal on this occasion. Her love of the sport was passed on to her by her late grandfather Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. It was Queen Elizabeth’s husband who brought carriage racing to Sandringham in 1982, one of his favourite places after he had to give up polo at the age of 50. The hobby soon developed into a passion that led the prince to represent Great Britain in several world and European championships.

Lady Louise’s mother said Prince Philip was “very pleased” when his daughter decided to take up the sport. “My father-in-law was always so good at encouraging Louise. So when she showed some talent, he was thrilled and fantastic,” she said. “They talked about carriages so much and he was always there when she was competing in the Great Park. He would come and watch her and see her training first hand.” Prince Philip made sure his granddaughter received top-notch training from his stables and, of course, that she had the best ponies and carriages to drive.

Thanks to their shared love of the sport, grandfather and granddaughter have developed a very strong and special bond over the years, so much so that the Duke of Edinburgh left his carriage to Lady Louise when he passed away in 2021. The young royal, in turn, paid tribute to her grandfather’s legacy by taking part in a carriage driving competition on the weekend of the first anniversary of his death.

Raised away from the spotlight

Lady Louise’s appearance at a public event in the company of a boy has nevertheless caused a stir due to the low and discreet profile the girl has maintained up to now. who has never been at the center of any gossip. Despite being the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, Lady Louise has always lived out of the spotlight, as per her parents’ wishes. When Sophie and Edward married in 1999, they decided that they wanted their future children to lead a normal life, choosing to abandon the titles of Her Royal Highness (HRH), which is why Louise has the title of Lady, while her brother James is the Earl of Wessex. “We try to raise them with the knowledge that they will most likely have to work for a living,” her mother Sophie explained in an interview with the Sunday Times.

Lady Louise took this to heart the summer after her university entrance exams, when she took a job at a garden centre for £6.63 an hour. Like any other person, the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh helped at the tills, greeted customers, pruned and repotted plants. One shopper told The Sun: ‘I knew the cost of living crisis was bad, but I never thought I’d see the Queen’s granddaughter working in a garden centre.’ Another customer added: ‘The staff seemed to adore her. It’s not every day you get to buy begonias from a royal.’ ‘I couldn’t believe it was Lady Louise, I had to look twice. ‘She’s such a modest, sweet girl, polite and attentive to customers. She seemed to love her job. I never imagined the Queen’s granddaughter would take a job behind the till.’ Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty magazine, said at the time: “Isn’t it wonderful that the Queen’s granddaughter has rolled up her sleeves and gotten her hands dirty with a summer job, before going off to university, just like any other teenager?”

The English rose has bloomed

Despite having had a relatively “normal” childhood, Louise has always had the aplomb and grace of a true little princess, perfectly blending the refined style of her mother Sophie with the subtle humor of her father, Prince Edward. Born four weeks premature and with a form of strabismus (later corrected), in the last two years, the girl has assumed an increasingly public role, which has grown in step with the rise of her parents, appointed Dukes of Edinburgh and become leading working royals, after the exit of the Dukes of Sussex and Prince Andrew.

Royal fans have, event after event, been able to admire the changes in this girl of Renaissance beauty who, in recent times, has blossomed, transforming herself into a true English rose. In the Trooping the Colour parade, the young woman, wearing the same dress worn at the coronation of King Charles, She travelled in a carriage, in the pouring rain, with her mother Sophie before later appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, alongside senior members of the royal family. And in recent years, she has fronted the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, accompanied her parents to the Commonwealth Games and made her television debut in a documentary about her beloved grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh.

But Lady Louise was also very close to Queen Elizabeth with whom she spent a lot of time in her childhood, since the residence where she grew up, Bagshot Park, was just a few miles from Windsor Castle. The young royal had the advantage of being born around the time the Queen and Prince Philip had reduced their long trips and were more settled. What’s more, she always followed her grandparents on holidays to Sandringham and Balmoral, spending a lot of time with them.

A source close to the royal family at the time told The Sun: “The Queen is delighted that Louise and James can spend time at Balmoral, and has become particularly fond of Louise, who seems to have become her favourite granddaughter.”. “Louise made herself loved by everyone, even looking after William and Kate’s children when they were here.” “Louise likes to draw and sketch and tried very patiently to persuade Charlotte to draw rabbits and deer.” Indulging her granddaughter’s artistic ability, Queen Elizabeth allowed her to admire some of Queen Victoria’s sketches of the Highlands, kept at Balmoral.

According to some commentators, Lady Louise could become one of the Royal Family’s secret winning weapons in the future. In the meantime, we continue to dream of the love story with the handsome Felix and if it’s roses…