He might not be the most well-known royal, but James, Earl of Wessex – the son of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has quietly made his mark behind the scenes.
And he’s just turned 18! From his titles to his education and more, here is everything you need to know about James, Earl of Wessex.
WHO IS JAMES, EARL OF WESSEX?
Born on 17 December 2007, James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor was an early Christmas present for his parents, Edward and Sophie.
He is the second child and only son of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and is currently 16th in line to the throne.
Despite being younger than his sister, Lady Louise Windsor, James is ahead of her in the line of succession. This is because male-preference primogeniture was still in place when he was born.
The rules changed with the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, which applies only to royals born after 28 October 2011 – meaning James remains ahead of Louise.
WHY IS PRINCE EDWARD’S SON NOT A PRINCE?
It was announced in 1999 by Buckingham Palace that any future children of Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie would not be given His/Her Royal Highness titles, in an effort to give them as normal a life as possible.
However, now that he has turned 18, James can make the decision to use the designation His Royal Highness under the 1917 Letters Patent – although it’s understood to be highly unlikely.
As the child of a previous monarch’s son, he is entitled to a prince title – as his cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have held since birth.
Back in 2020, Sophie explained to The Sunday Times why she and Edward chose not to give their children prince or princess titles.
“We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living. Hence, we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely.”
Indeed, Lady Louise has not chosen to use her HRH title since her 18th birthday back in 2021.
WHAT ROYAL TITLES DOES JAMES HAVE?
While he may not be a prince, James does have various titles – including Earl of Wessex, which he uses as a courtesy title following his father’s elevation to Duke of Edinburgh.
He was previously referred to as Viscount Severn until Prince Edward inherited his new title in 2023.
However, James is not destined to inherit the Duke of Edinburgh title one day, as Buckingham Palace specified that “the title will be held by Prince Edward for His Royal Highness’s lifetime.” After, it will revert back to the crown.
WHERE DOES JAMES, EARL OF WESSEX LIVE AND STUDY?
James currently lives at the family home at Bagshot Park in Surrey, which is conveniently located near Windsor Castle.
James was reportedly previously educated at two nearby independent, co-educational prep schools, and he currently attends Radley College – an all-boys boarding school in Oxfordshire.
The Earl is also said to enthusiastically join in the fun during the royal family’s summer holidays at Balmoral.
In 2019, a source told The Sun that the young royal “is rather good at flipping burgers and liked to get fully involved whenever there was a family barbecue at Balmoral.”
The insider added that he impressed his late grandmother with his passion and talent for salmon fishing.
“His enthusiasm for fly fishing delighted Her Majesty because it’s a sport beloved of James’s great-granny, the late Queen Mother,” the source shared. “James was in the [river] Dee as often as possible, waders up to his armpits. His mother Sophie, who is a keen fisherwoman herself, liked to stand with him.
“The Balmoral ghillies [gamekeepers] were impressed with both of them. Edward is not as keen because he’s not as patient, which you need to be when fishing for salmon, even in the plentiful Dee.”
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
