Does Lady Louise Windsor have a disability? Real reason why Queen's favorite grandchild underwent eye operation
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.
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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.