As with all of Victoria’s children Louise was trained from a very young age to learn not only the skills required to be a sovereign’s child but most if not all of the skills that would be expected to be performed by those that served them in whatever capacity.
At Osborne she was taught how to to look after a garden, prepare and cook food and how to serve it and wait at table, with very critical mother and father as the guests. Preparing the food would of course included skinning and gutting all forms of bird, rabbits and hares and deer.
Daily tuition in a range of subjects was undertaken by tutors and failure to perform was met with punishment. As can be seen from the letter under ‘Her Name’ her handwriting was neat, stylish even if it did include some French and she was just 7 years old.
In her teens and twenties her talents expanded to include painting, writing, sculpting, singing, skating, horse-riding, fishing – in fact almost anything active or artistic. As she matured gardening in all forms interested her from actual design and landscaping to enthusiastic pruner of roses or any other plant that she felt needed trimming, regardless of its ownership.
She was obviously not only an advocate for women but was closely involved with those in the suffrigist movement. She was instrumental either directly or by lending her name and support to many organisations that had the objective of enhancing the educational or general well being of women of all ages.
The Princess Louise (under construction) 