Prince Philip’s granddaughter Lady Louise, 17, who shares the duke’s love of driving will inherit his carriage and ponies
- Sources say she will continue to regularly exercise the two black ponies
- In 2019 Prince Philip was pictured proudly watching her take part in competition
- The duke took up carriage-driving in his fifties in 1971
It was one of the most moving parts of the duke’s funeral.
His two beloved fell ponies were seen pulling their late master’s carriage, on which lay his driving cap, gloves, blanket – and even the well-worn red-lidded plastic tub he kept their sugar lumps in.
Fortunately, Prince Philip’s ponies and polished dark green carriage will be passed on to a member of the family who shares his love for the sport of carriage-driving – his 17-year-old granddaughter Lady Louise.
On the morning he died, the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex was seen in Windsor Great Park in his carriage, paying tribute by putting the ponies through their paces.
On the morning he died, the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex was seen in Windsor Great Park in his carriage, paying tribute by putting the ponies through their paces
Sources say she will continue to regularly exercise the two black ponies – Balmoral Nevis and Notlaw Storm – at Windsor. In 2019, Prince Philip was pictured proudly watching his granddaughter take part in a carriage driving competition at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, in which she came third.
He had taught the sport to Lady Louise, as well as to her mother.
The duke took up carriage-driving in his fifties in 1971, switching from polo due to an arthritic wrist.
He was credited with shaping the sport in the UK and was still competing in his eighties, representing Britain in three European championships and six world championships in total.
At the age of 91, the prince had the dark green carriage made to his specifications out of aluminium and steel.
He was seen riding the carriage around Windsor and other royal estates in the following years.
Sources say she will continue to regularly exercise the two black ponies – Balmoral Nevis and Notlaw Storm – at Windsor
His fell ponies were both born in 2008 and Balmoral Nevis was bred by the Queen. The breed, which is native to North England, is used for riding and driving because of the ponies’ large size, strength and agility.
However, fell ponies have been categorised as endangered thanks in part to a genetic disease.
Prince Philip had spoken of his love of haring through the countryside at high speed, whip in hand, in his horse-drawn carriages. In a book he wrote about the sport, he said: ‘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.
At the age of 91, the prince had the dark green carriage made to his specifications out of aluminium and steel
As president of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, he initiated the drafting of the first international rules for carriage-driving in 1968, which sparked wider interest in the sport.
Philip began his training with five bays from the Royal Mews, and was a member of the victorious British team at the world carriage-driving championships held at Windsor in 1980.
Paying tribute to the duke, the Earl and Countess of Wessex recalled some of the scrapes Philip got into while carriage-driving around the Windsor estate.
Sophie said Philip had been ‘pulled out of a few ditches here, I seem to remember’.
Laughing, Edward said: ‘In the early days, yes, he used to have a few problems.’
Sophie replied jokingly: ‘More recently too.’