Lady Louise Windsor Devastated as She Attends Church Service for Queen’s Funeral

Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, looked visibly distraught as she left Balmoral to attend a church service in honor of the late Queen.

The nation was left stunned when news of Her Majesty's passing was announced on Thursday evening at 6:30 pm.

Members of the royal family have been gathering at the Queen's Scottish estate to pay their final respects.

Lady Louise Windsor was captured in photographs, appearing somber as she joined other royals on their way to a prayer service at the nearby Crathie Kirk.

The Queen was known to frequent this small church during her stays in Balmoral.

On Saturday, the 18-year-old Louise, who has long been considered Her Majesty's favorite grandchild, joined other members of the royal family to pay tribute to the monarch.

Following the prayer service at Crathie Kirk, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex, along with the Countess of Wessex and Anne's husband Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence, embarked on a walkabout.

Dressed elegantly in a black gown, Lady Louise spent approximately ten minutes with her family, reading the condolences and admiring the flowers before returning inside Balmoral Castle.

As senior members of the royal family waved to the mourners at the Aberdeenshire estate, the crowd erupted in cheers.

The Earl of Wessex, Lady Louise's father, expressed his gratitude to the well-wishers lining the way back to Balmoral Castle, accompanied by his wife, who held hands with their daughter.

Also present were the Queen's grandchildren Peter Phillips, Zara Tyndall, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Lady Louise Windsor.

Over the past two years, Lady Louise has become more visible as her parents, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex, have taken on more prominent roles within the royal family.

This rise in prominence follows the controversies surrounding Prince Andrew and the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Lady Louise participated in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, accompanied her parents to the Commonwealth Games, and made a successful TV debut in a documentary about her beloved grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Lady Louise has become such a recognizable figure that customers at the Garden Centre where she has been employed since finishing her A-levels in June often identify her.

However, now that she has received the marks to study English at the University of St. Andrews, where her cousin Prince William famously met his future wife, Lady Louise is preparing for the next chapter of her life as a student.

Unlike her older cousins William and Harry, Lady Louise was born around the time when the Queen and Prince Philip reduced their long-haul travel, allowing her to spend more time with them during her childhood.

She has always resided approximately 11 miles from Windsor.

Lady Louise attended St. George's School at Windsor Castle until the 9th grade when she transferred to St. Mary's School in Ascot due to a medical condition called congenital isotropia, which caused her eyes to turn inward.

This issue was corrected through surgery in 2013.

She remained mostly shielded from public view until she served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.

Many royal enthusiasts noted her striking resemblance to the Queen at the same age.

It was Lady Louise's grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, who introduced her to her passion for carriage driving.

Prince Philip, who had more leisure time after retiring, had been an avid carriage driver since the 1970s and even competed in carriage races near Norfolk.

Sophie Wessex, Lady Louise's mother, revealed that Prince Philip was thrilled when his granddaughter expressed an interest in the sport.

“My father-in-law was always so good at encouraging, he was really encouraging of Louise.

So when she not only said, ‘Please can I have a go?'

but then when she showed a flair for it, he was just brilliant with her,” she said.