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The Queen’s ‘favourite grandchild is Lady Louise Windsor’ after spending the summer with her at Balmoral, royal expert claims
MOVE over Princes Harry and William, it turns out the Queen’s favourite grandchild is actually 15-year-old Lady Louise Windsor.
The young royal, who is the eldest child of Prince Edward, 55, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, 54, has been Her Majesty’s most-loved guest at Balmoral this summer.
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The young royal, who is 13th in line to the throne, has helped take the Queen’s mind off the ghastly Epstein business, not to mention the Prime Minister’s unpredictable behaviour.
The Wessex family, which also includes Louise’s 11-year-old brother James, Viscount Severn, just left the Scottish estate after a ten-day stay.
Louise spent valuable family time with the Queen, and for three days running was chosen to accompany the Sovereign as they enjoyed a gentle horse ride in the hills above the castle.
While the Queen, 93, wore just a headscarf, Louise was more safely attired in a protective hard hat – and her mother accompanied her on just one of the rides.
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A royal insider said: “The Queen loves the fact that Louise and James relish their time at Balmoral, and she has become particularly close to Louise, who seems to have become her favourite grandchild, closely followed by James.
“Louise also endeared herself to everyone by looking after William and Kate’s children when they were up here.
"Louise loves drawing and sketching and was very patiently trying to get Charlotte to do pictures of rabbits and deer.
"Because of her obvious artistic skill, the Queen allowed Louise to look through some of the collection of Queen Victoria’s Highlands sketches which are kept at Balmoral but are rarely dug out these days.”
Ingrid Seward previously told Fabulous Digital that the Queen likes "ordinary people more than she does those that pander to her".
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Lady Louise, who is 16 in November, was born prematurely at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey and was delivered by emergency C-section.
She previously attended school in Windsor before moving to an Ascot school near to her parents' home, Bagshot Park.
James is said to have also delighted his grandmother with his dexterity casting for salmon in the River Dee during the Balmoral trip.
The source continued: “His enthusiasm for fly fishing delighted Her Majesty because it’s a sport beloved of James’s great-granny, the late Queen Mother.
“James was in the Dee as often as possible, waders up to his armpits. His mother Sophie, who is a keen fisherwoman herself, liked to stand with him.
“The Balmoral ghillies [gamekeepers] were impressed with both of them.
“Edward is not as keen because he’s not as patient, which you need to be when fishing for salmon, even in the plentiful Dee.”
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Confident James, who is 12th in line to the throne, also showed off his love of another royal traditional at Balmoral; barbecueing.
The source said: “He’s rather good at flipping burgers and liked to get fully involved whenever there was a family BBQ at Balmoral.
“That used to be Prince Philip’s domain, but is less so these days.”
Earlier in the summer, James was spotted driving a Land Rover in the grounds of Windsor Castle (with his mum in the passenger seat).
The Queen has eight grandchildren; William and Harry from Charles, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall from Anne, Eugenie and Beatrice from Andrew, and Louise and James from Edward.
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THE QUEEN'S SUMMER RETREAT AT BALMORAL
Balmoral Castle has been a Royal residence since 1852.
The estate and its original castle were purchased privately by Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, and to this day remain the private property of the Royal Family.
The castle is classified by Historic Scotland as a category A listed building, and costs around £3 million annually to run.
Every summer, the Monarch returns to the Balmoral estate with her husband Prince Philip.
Throughout the summer, much of the royal family - including Charles, Camilla, William, and Kate - will join her and Prince Philip for their annual “summer break.”
The Royal residence has often been described as “the most beautiful place on Earth” and is often referred to as the Queen’s favourite home.
The Queen is often seen riding horses or driving her beloved Range Rover over the estate’s rugged terrain.
The castle gardens were first opened to the public in 1931.
They now open daily between April and the end of July, after which Queen Elizabeth arrives for her annual stay.
The atmosphere is likely to be less bucolic this week, when Prince Harry, 34, and Meghan, 38, are said to be due to visit.
This will mark the first time the Duchess of Sussex has been to the estate, which the Queen escapes to every summer.
The Balmoral staff will have their work cut out trying to find something to amuse Meghan that does not involve wildlife, as fishing or shooting deer or grouse are typical pasttimes there.
The Sussex family will miss out on spending time at Balmoral with Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three kids, who flew up to Scotland to visit last week.
Buckingham Palace was contacted but declined to comment.
MORE ON THE ROYAL FAMILY
We previously shared how the Queen is fonder of Zara and Mike Tindall than Kate Middleton and Prince William.
Meanwhile, we revealed the Queen orders takeaway fish and chips when she is at Balmoral.
The first video recorded of Queen Victoria, at Balmoral in September 1896, marking the achievement of the longest reign in British history
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