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Lady Louise Windsor Disability, What Happened To Her Eyes? – During Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, seven-year-old Lady Louise Windsor stole the show with her beautiful blonde hair and angelic looks as she rode the coach with her cousin Prince Harry. Lady Louise, the oldest daughter of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s youngest son Prince Edward and wife Sophia Wessex, has managed to stay mostly out of the spotlight.
The young royal’s parents have tried to ensure that their daughter led a normal life despite having the Queen as her grandmother. But Lady Louise’s life has been anything but ordinary. From premature birth to eye surgeries, the 17-year-old has already been through a lot. Owing to her premature birth, Louise was born with an eye condition called esotropia. If you’re curious to know more about esotropia and Louise’s health we got you covered.
Premature birth
Lady Louise Windsor, the only daughter of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex was born on 8 November 2003. She was born prematurely, a month ahead of her due date. Sophie had to be rushed to a hospital for her birth, unfortunately at that time, Prince Edward wasn’t by her side as he was on an official trip to Mauritius.
There were some serious complications during her birthing process. It was reported that after a placental abruption, both Countess Sophie and Lady Louise experienced severe blood loss. Royal Surgeon and Gynaecologist Marcus Setchell performed an emergency Caesarean section. Louise was immediately transferred to a neo-natal unit in St George’s Hospital, Tooting, London, as a precaution. Although she made it out safely, she still suffered some health conditions owing to her premature birth, such as esotropia.
Esotropia
Esotropia is a condition that turns the eye outwards. The young royal experienced difficulties with her vision while growing up. According to Hello magazine, Louise underwent her first eye procedure when she was just 18 months to correct her vision. Unfortunately, that procedure was unsuccessful. A few years later in 2014, she underwent a second procedure, which went well and left the royal with perfect vision.
In an interview with Sunday Express, Sophie expressed how her daughter’s delivery was a “very scary” moment. She said, “For the first 10 years after [Louise] was born, I found it very hard to go to prem wards. It brought the whole thing back, but I’ve learnt to cope.” Sophie also explained her daughter’s eye condition to the outlet. She explained, “Premature babies can often have squints because the eyes are the last thing in the baby package to really be finalized. ” “Her squint was quite profound when she was tiny and it takes time to correct it. You’ve got to make sure one eye doesn’t become more dominant than the other but she’s fine now—her eyesight is perfect,” she added.
Her daughter’s “cosmetically awkward” condition inspired Sophie to become a patron of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and a global ambassador for Vision 2020 — a worldwide initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020. “I have seen sight being restored and I can promise you there are few things more rewarding in this world than seeing someone step from the dark into the light,” she expressed.
Louise is currently 17 years old and attends St Mary’s School Ascot. Just like her grandfather Prince Philip, Louise enjoys carriage driving.
Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor was born Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, England on November 8, 2003. Her mother, the Countess of Wessex, was rushed to the hospital to give birth to Lady Louise one month early, according to the BBC. Her father, Prince Edward, was not by Countess Sophie’s side when Lady Louise was born because he was on an official visit to Mauritius.
Weighing 4 lbs. 9 oz., Lady Louise was premature, and her birth came with a few complications. Due to a placental abruption, which caused severe blood loss to both Countess Sophie and Lady Louise, she was delivered by the Royal Surgeon and Gynecologist Marcus Setchell via emergency Caesarean section.
Her name was later announced on November 27, 2003 and she was baptized in Windsor Castle‘s private chapel in 2004. As the daughter of Prince Edward, she is currently 13th in the line of succession for the British throne.
2. She grew up with an eye condition that inspired her mother to campaign for charity.
Born with esotropia, a condition that turns the eyes outwards, Lady Louise had difficulties with her vision growing up. She underwent her first eye procedure at just 18 months in order to correct her vision. The procedure, however, was unsuccessful and Lady Louise underwent a second procedure in 2014. Now 14, Lady Louise can see perfectly, according to Hello magazine.
“Premature babies can often have squints because the eyes are the last thing in the baby package to really be finalized,” Countess Sophie told The Sunday Express of her daughter’s eye condition. “Her squint was quite profound when she was tiny and it takes time to correct it. You’ve got to make sure one eye doesn’t become more dominant than the other but she’s fine now—her eyesight is perfect,” she added.
Lady Louise’s mother was so inspired by her daughter’s journey to correct her “cosmetically awkward” condition that she is now a patron of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and a global ambassador for Vision 2020 — a worldwide initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020.
3. She has a lake named after her.
During a visit to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to pay tribute to Canadian military personnel serving in Afghanistan in 2008, Prince Edward received an unexpected gift from Manitoba Premier Gary Doer, according to The Vancouver Sun. After giving a speech in honor of the Canadian servicemen and women, Prince Edward received framed notices naming two Northwestern Manitoba lakes after Lady Louise, then age 4, and her brother James, Viscount Severn, then five-months-old.
4. She is a skilled carriage driver.
Lady Louise showed off her carriage driving skills last weekend at the Windsor Horse Show. The young royal had full control of the red and black carriage as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 96, looked on at his granddaughter, likely proud to see a young member of his family participate in a sport he took up at the age of 50. Clearly she’s following in royal footsteps; Queen Elizabeth II also took the reigns back in the 1940s, alongside her little sister Princess Margaret.
5. She didn’t realize her grandmother was the Queen of England.
Lady Louise and her younger brother James, Viscount Severn, 10, largely stay out of public eye. And it seems that living a normal life also means not understanding your grandmother is the monarch.
In an interview with the BBC‘s Louise Minchlin in May 2016, the Countess of Wessex revealed that her daughter didn’t realize her grandmother was the Queen of England. To young Lady Louise, Queen Elizabeth II was always just a regular grandmother.
“Well, for Louise, actually, it was much more of a shock to the system,” Countess Sophie told Minchlin. “It was only when she was coming home from school and saying, ‘Mummy, people keep on telling me that grandma is the queen.’ And I asked her, ‘Yes, how does that make you feel?’ And she said, ‘I don’t understand.’ … I don’t think she had grasped that perhaps there was only one Queen.”
6. She’s Played an Important Role in Recent Royal Weddings.
Lady Louise has been tapped by two of her cousins to serve in their bridal parties. Back in 2011, Louise was a bridesmaid in Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding. More recently, Louise was given an important role in another royal wedding: she and her brother James, Viscount Severn, were both special attendants at Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank in October 2018.
