King Charles' niece has ambitions to follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II with a historic move, according to an insider.

Lady Louise Windsor, 20, daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, wants to become the first female royal to serve in the military since the late Queen, a friend of the young royal told The Sun.

Louise who is eighth in line to the throne, is said to be an avid member of Officers’ Training Corps at St Andrew's University, where she is studying English Literature.

Speaking to the newspaper, her friend said she "talks about being very keen on a career in the military, serving the King and country. She is all about the Army Cadets and has fallen in love with it,” they added.

But it's not the first time Louise has voiced her interest in serving the country. On her LinkedIn page she reveals that, “I am interested in pursuing a career in the military, diplomacy, or law.”

Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 in 2022 after seven decades on the throne, had donned army uniform in her youth, serving as a Junior Commander with the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War.

She was the first - and remains the only - female member of The Firm to serve in the British military. In contrast, military service has been common among the men in the family in recent years, with Prince Harry as the last royal to join the ranks and complete two tours of Afghanistan.

Prince William was commissioned into the Army in December 2006 and joined the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) as a Second Lieutenant.

In 2010 he completed his training as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force and reportedly completed over 150 operations.

Prince Andrew had also served during the Falklands War as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot, while the King was in the RAF and the Navy between 1971 and 1976.

Meanwhile, Louise’s father Edward briefly trained with the Royal Marines in 1987 before leaving after four months.

His daughter is an Officer Cadet who has earned plaudits for taking on normal jobs despite her family's vast wealth.

She famously worked at a garden centre for minimum wage before starting her studies at university, and currently volunteers for online education charity Tutor The Nation, The Sun reports.