UK Telegraph
Louise, the little lady who gave everybody a big scare
By Caroline Davies
(Filed: 10/01/2004)
Buckingham Palace has released the first official photographs of Lady Louise Windsor showing that, despite her traumatic entry into the world, the two-month-old daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex is thriving.
Lady Louise, who was born prematurely by emergency caesarean, is still small for her age but is putting on weight, according to sources. And she was the focus of attention at Sandringham, where the photographs were taken by her uncle, the Duke of York, between Christmas and New Year.
The Countess too looks well. She is said to be fully recovered from the emergency operation performed to save her daughter's life, and has clearly lost most of the weight she put on during pregnancy.
The Earl and Countess are in the process of hiring a full-time nanny for Lady Louise, although the Countess intends to be a "hands on" mother.
"She has been spending as much quality time as possible with her daughter, and she is just thrilled at her progress," said one source. "She really is an absolutely adored baby - and a real cutie-pie. She looks like a perfect jolly little baby."
The Earl has also been getting "stuck in", devoting the past few weeks to spending time with her although it is unclear whether he has changed a nappy or not. He will resume his official programme of engagements next week.
Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mountbatten-Windsor, who is eighth in line to the throne but does not have the title HRH at her parents' request, is named after the Earl's paternal great great grandmother, Louise of Hesse (1817-1898).
She was born after the Countess, who had previously suffered an ectopic pregnancy, was rushed to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey on Nov 8. Immediately after her birth, mother and daughter were separated when Lady Louise was taken to the specialist neo-natal unit at St George's Hospital in Tooting, south London.
The Queen, who was said to be "very upset" at the time, dotes on her seventh grandchild and spent plenty of time fussing over her during the Royal Family's annual break at Sandringham.
Unusually, she agreed to pose with the Wessexes and their daughter for an official photograph, taken by the Duke, which will be released tomorrow.
The Earl and Countess asked the Duke, a keen photographer, to take the informal pictures.
"It was their idea and he was delighted to do it," said an aide. "They felt it would look more natural and relaxed if the pictures were taken by a member of the family."
The Duke took more than 200 pictures in all. Seven are being released to the media and the rest distributed to members of the Royal Family, each signed "Edward, Sophie and baby Louise".
The Countess has said she thinks her daughter looks like the Earl. "She really sees him in her," said a source.
The father-daughter bond is obviously strong, demonstrated in one photograph where Lady Louise locks her gaze into the devoted Earl's eyes. In another, her tiny hand reaches out to grasp the Countess's finger.
The Countess is not expected to return to a full programme of engagements for some time. Although she has kept in touch with her charities, she has confined herself to paperwork rather than personal appearances.
The pictures are the third official Royal Family photographs taken by Prince Andrew since he bought his first camera in 1983. He took pictures of his mother, the Queen, to mark her 60th birthday, and a portrait for her Golden Jubilee.
He used a Canon EOS 1D digital camera to capture the informal images.
