If it had been Prince Harry, Meghan or Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, they’d have chartered a helicopter or barged into first class – and probably turfed the rest of the carriage out for good measure. But instead, faced with a packed two-hour intercity train ride from London to Bristol, the unassuming 17th in line to the throne Lady Louise Windsor simply sat cross-legged on the floor when realising there was no free seat.
The down-to-earth 22-year-old daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh did not kick up a fuss or scream about her privacy or safety. Nope; as they pulled away from Paddington she squatted, whipped out her laptop, sipped on a cup of PG Tips – it’s one’s taste – and cracked on with writing an essay for St Andrews University.
A picture, captured of her on the train by a fellow passenger, is one of the most refreshing images I’ve seen in a long time and instils faith that many younger royals can teach their more entitled, older peers a lesson or two in humility outside their ego’s bubble.
‘Air Miles Andy’ never got his moniker by sitting on a public train. Not unless it was doing circuits of Jeffery Epstein island.
Meanwhile the Sussexes appear to spend their lives jetting the globe for some eco or human rights conference – and I don’t see them getting there on bikes.
In October last year the Express worked out that in the 10 months of 2024 to that point, the Sussexes had already clocked up 83,000 air miles.
The couple, who stood down as senior working royals in 2020, continue to promote a number of causes through their organisation Archewell and so claim they need to circumnavigate the globe to promote it.
The 83,000 air miles did not include internal flights on their visits to Nigeria and Colombia, nor private holidays, and equates to more than three trips around the world as the circumference of the earth is 24,901 miles.
Can you see Harry and Meghan sat on the floor of a packed Great Western train while some football fans at the table above crack open a few cans to steel themselves for that afternoon’s crunch derby?
I can’t either. But then I also can’t see Lady Louise bringing out a book called ’17th’ and pleading for a Netflix deal to make ends meet.
So that no-fuss image of Lady Louise is wonderful and telling too. It tells me that some unassuming younger royals have not only been able to grow up pretty normally, but genuinely feel that.
She’s not the first royal to travel unnoticed – aunt Princess Anne boarded the London Underground in 2020, en route to London Fashion Week. But Anne puts in a shift and has inherited her mother’s sense of duty.
Lady Louise is dating fellow student, and young Army man, Felix da Silva-Clamp. If she takes on royal duties after graduating I think she will be immensely popular.
But there are two things I’d like to tell her before that happens, if it does. Firstly, of course try to emulate your parents or your aunt Anne, but just be yourself.
And secondly, next time sneak into First Class, say you thought the overcrowded train had been declassified, grab a bottle of free water and use their better WiFi.
For two hours you’ll feel like royalty … and who better to enjoy that?
