Lady Louise is about to face 'intimidating' challenge at university - Royal Insider

Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex's daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, is set for a challenging university event. A traditional formal dinner reserved for small groups, and it's likely to put her nerves to the test. The 18-year-old, who has won a place at the prestigious St Andrews University, in a statement released earlier this year, Having received her A-level results, Lady Louise started at St Andrews University to study English. According to reports, the late Queen Elizabeth II's favourite granddaughter studied hard for her exams at St Mary's School, Ascot. Her chosen subjects were English History, Politics and Drama. Lady Louise has now joined her peers at St Salvatore's Hall. Like many other university halls across the UK, St Salvatore's holds formal dinners that may feel unusual for some students. St Salvatore's hosts a small-scale weekly high-table event for students. Lady Louise may attend a formal dinner with a small number of students who are invited to join a high-ranking member of the university, such as a professor or an influential alum. High-table gatherings serve as an opportunity for students to network and discuss current events. The university website explains the event. St Salvatore's Hall hosts High Table every week for a small group of students to attend a formal dinner with a prominent member of the St Andrews staff or community. Monica Burns, a former resident at St Salvatore's, details her experience of the prestigious tradition in a blog post for the Museum of the University of St Andrews. As formal and intimidating as this sounds, what I found was that it was just fancy embellishments over what is just a friendly and social dinner with your friends and members of university staff. She wrote, There's also plenty of liquor to lubricate students' nerves, with a sherry reception to start and a glass of port in the Regent Rooms to finish. Every student in the halls is invited to High Table over the course of the year so that everybody gets a shot, Burns added. While this networking event may be considered quite daunting for most teenagers, Lady Louise will have the benefit of having attended many formal occasions over the years, with her role within the Royal Family. She has attended some of the most high-profile royal events in recent history, appearing on the balcony at Buckingham Palace alongside senior members of the Royal Family. It's also a traditional dinner that Prince William and Princess Catherine would have been likely to experience as well, considering they attended the same university. In fact, it's where William first met his now-wife, Catherine. The university has published photographs to give prospective students an idea of what the accommodation looks like, and while it's a far cry from Lady Louise's stately family home in Bagshot Park, it's still rather nice. One image revealed a rather nice space with huge traditional windows flooding the room with light. There's plenty of room for a bed as well, and ample desk space for studying. It's unknown if this is a standard room or one of the more luxurious accommodation options. The last time anyone saw Lady Louise was in September, when she attended the funeral of her grandmother. Last month she had to leave from university quickly to go to London for a special funeral ceremony. She honoured Queen Elizabeth II, while she was there by dressing in a way that honoured their mutual hobby. She was pictured wearing two necklaces, one of which had a pendant of a horse, while she was dressed in all black. It was thought that the jewellery was a reference to her and the late Queen's shared passion for horses. During her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth II reportedly possessed hundreds of horses that she rode and trained for racing. Lady Louise, who had a passion for equestrian activities, had inherited her grandmother's interests. Her late grandpa, Prince Philip, who also loved to ride in a carriage, encouraged her to pursue this pastime. Following his death, the prince gave his granddaughter ownership of his carriage, and this summer she led a parade at the Royal Windsor Horse Show while riding it.