Queen Elizabeth’s youngest grandchild, James Earl of Wessex, formerly Viscount Severn, celebrated his 17th birthday on December 17th. He is Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh’s son.
James Is The Only Son Of Prince Edward And Duchess Sophie
The lesser-known royal has largely stayed out of the spotlight his whole life, as has his sister, Lady Louise Windsor, until recently.
However, he’s gone with his parents to high-profile royal events, like King Charles’s coronation and Trooping the Color. Queen Elizabeth’s youngest grandchild was born at Frimley Park Hospital on December 17th, 2007.
Thankfully, James’s birth was less traumatic than his sister, Lady Louise, who arrived four weeks early in November 2003.
James is the only son of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. He was named James Alexander Phillip Theor-Mountbatten-Windsor and inherited his father’s title, Viscount Severn.
James has since inherited the title of Earl of Wessex after Prince Edward received the title of Duke of Edinburgh. He was also born eighth in line to the throne, ahead of Lady Louise.
The rules of succession changed in 2013 with the Succession of the Crown Act 2013. It allows the oldest child to be ahead in the line of succession regardless of gender.
However, it only applies to royal children born after October 28th, 2011, which means James is still ahead of Lady Louise. After James was born, his father, Edward, called him “small, cute, and cuddly.”
Neither James nor Lady Louise has the title of Prince or Princess because their parents desire to keep their lives as private and normal as possible. Because of this, little is known about James except what has been said here and there.
James Went With His Parents And Sister Lady Louise To South Africa
James is preparing to get his driver’s license. He’s been excited to drive ever since he was a young boy. When he was ten years old, he was seen driving around the private grounds of Windsor, sitting on someone’s lap, peering over the steering wheel.
In 2020, Sophie shared with the Times how James and Lady Louise enjoyed sleepovers, parties with their classmates, and walking their dogs.
She also commented about their education. Before joining the private Radley College in Oxfordshire, James had reportedly attended two independent, co-educational prep schools near his home, Eagle House and St. George.
“I guess not everyone’s grandparents live in a castle, but where you are going is not the important part, or who they are. When they are with the Queen, she is their grandmother,”
Sophie added.
When James was eight, he went on his first overseas trip to South Africa with his parents and Lady Louise. They visited the Ubunye Foundation in Grahamstown.
Sophie is a patron of the non-profit organization, which works with underserved communities to address poverty and other issues.
In 2020, he and his parents helped with the Great British Beach Clean at Southsea Beach in New Hampshire to support the Marine Conservation Society.
James has made numerous appearances at royal events, including Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. He walked behind the casket with her other grandchildren, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips, and Lady Louise at the vigil at Westminster Hall.
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