Birth

On 9 January Buckingham Palace released two sets of official photos of Louise with her family.  The photo on this page is the free one.  The sets are been sold to raise money for the Earl and Countess of Wessex Charitable Fund, which has numerous beneficiaries. 

On 9 November Lady Louise Windsor was delivered by Caesarian in Frimley, Surrey.  Louise was born a month premature and only weight 2.9. pounds at birth.  As a precaution, she was moved to St. George's Neo- Natal hospital in Tooting.  The delivery was especially difficult for Sophie who remained at Frimley hospital to recover from the surgery. The Earl of Wessex was on an official engagement in Mauritius at the time and missed the birth.  He immediately returned to be with Sophie and his baby girl.  Over the next week the strain of obvious on Edward as he drove between Tooting and Frimley to be with his wife and daughter.  He also took numerous photos of Louise for Sophie to hold on to. After four days Louise's doctor at St. George's allowed her to be returned to Tooting to be with her mother.  A week later Sophie was released from hospital, returning everyday to be with Louise.  

When Louise passed the critical weight of 5 pounds, she was released from hospital and taken home to Bagshot Park.  After much speculation the couple announced that their daughter would be named Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten Windsor.  It had been decided upon the Earl and Countess of Wessex's marriage that their children would not be given the titles of Her Royal Highness nor be a princess of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  She would instead be allowed to given a title as a daughter of an Earl, that of Lady.  

The couple were clearly delighted by the birth of Louise, after attempting to have have children for a while and suffering an ecoptic pregnancy.  Edward happily remarked that his life was now controlled by two women - Sophie and Louise.  At the 2003 Christmas celebrations, Sophie told the crowd that her daughter was growing beautifully.