How Prince Philip left his 'favourite grandchild' touching gifts' in his will (2024)

WHEN Prince Philip passed away in 2021 he left a very special gift to his “favourite grandchild” - and it wasn’t Prince William or Prince Harry.

The late Duke of Edinburgh had been an avid carriage driver, and left his beloved ponies and carriage to granddaughter Lady Louise, who was 17 at the time.

Before his death on April 9, three years ago, Prince Philip had taught Lady Louise, who is the daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, duch*ess of Edinburgh, how to drive carriages.

The husband of the late Queen Elizabeth II began carriage driving after giving up polo at the age of 50 in 1971 due to what he called his "dodgy" arthritic wrist.

He had a natural flair for the sport and even represented Great Britain in three European Championships and six World Championships.

In a book the Duke wrote: "I am getting old, my reactions are getting slower, and my memory is unreliable, but I have never lost the sheer pleasure of driving a team through the British countryside."

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In his role as President of FEI Global, Philip was responsible for the organisation of all equestrian sporting events at five Olympics Games.

A source told MailOnline after Philip’s death that Lady Louise was expected to regularly exercise Philip’s black ponies - Balmoral Nevis and Notlaw Storm – at Windsor, after inheriting them from the Duke of Edinburgh.

Lady Louise, now 20, was hailed as the Queen’s ‘favourite grandchild’, particularly following a visit to Balmoral, the monarch’s Scottish retreat, in the summer of 2019.

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.”

Ingrid Seward previously told Fabulous Digital that the Queen likes "ordinary people more than she does those that pander to her".

Louise is now 16th in line to the throne, behind her younger brother James, as they were both born before the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, which officially ended the centuries-old rule that male offspring take precedence over females.

Philip’s ponies played a central role in his funeral on April, 17, 2021 as they pulled his custom-made four-wheeled carriage.

Philip started using his dark green carriage in the 90s and would ride on it in Windsor.

During the poignant funeral, his cap, whip and brown gloves were laid on a folded blanket on the seat - alongside a small red pot that Philip used to store sugar lumps for the ponies.

Covid restrictions meant the Queen sat alone inside St George’s Chapel at Windsor as she paid a final farewell to Prince Philip.

Philip's immediate family - including the late Queen, Princess Anne, the then-Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward - were top the list of mourners.

All of the duke's grandchildren and their spouses - including William, Harry, Eugenie and Beatrice - also attended.

Three of Philip's German relatives - Bernhard, the Hereditary Prince of Baden; Donatus, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse; and Prince Philipp of Hohenlohe-Langenburg - were among the attendees.

It’s not known how much Prince William or Prince Harry inherited from their late grandfather, but the Duke of Sussex reportedly did get an eye-wateringly large sum from the Queen Mother.

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While the exact amount Harry inherited remains unknown, a 2002 BBC report says the "bulk" of her £14 million estate was to go to the Duke of Sussex "since William will benefit financially by becoming king."