James, Earl of Wessex | |
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 James at the coronation of Charles III | |
| Born | James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn 17 December 2007 Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, England |
| Education | Radley College |
| Parents |
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| Family | House of Windsor |
James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex (born 17 December 2007), is the younger child and son of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. He is the youngest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest nephew of King Charles III. At the time of his birth, he was 8th in line to the British throne. Since the accession of his uncle Charles, he has been 15th.
James was born on 17 December 2007 at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey by caesarean section.[1][2] His full name, James Alexander Philip Theo, was announced on 21 December.[3]
James was baptised on 19 April 2008, in the private chapel of Windsor Castle by David Conner, Dean of Windsor,[4] witnessed by his godparents, Alastair Bruce, Duncan Bullivant, Thomas Hill, Denise Poulton and Jeanye Irwin,[5] and his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[6]
Between 2011 and 2021, James reportedly attended Eagle House School, a coeducational preparatory school near Sandhurst, Berkshire, and St George's School, Windsor Castle.[7] He has also trained with St John Ambulance cadets.[8]
Since 2021, James attends Radley College, an independent boarding school for boys near Radley, Oxfordshire.[citation needed]
James's first formal royal engagement was, aged four, at the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.[citation needed] In April 2015, James (then styled Viscount Severn) and his elder sister, Lady Louise, participated in their first overseas engagement by accompanying their parents on a trip to South Africa.[9] He made his first appearance in the carriage procession at Trooping the Colour in 2016.[10] In September 2020, he joined his parents to help the Great British Beach Clean at Southsea Beach in Hampshire, in support of the Marine Conservation Society.[11][12]
Following the memorial service for his grandfather Prince Philip on 29 March 2022,[13] Viscount Severn attended the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving[14][15] and the Platinum Party at the Palace in June 2022.[16]
On 17 September 2022, during the period of official mourning for his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, James joined his sister and six cousins to mount a 15-minute vigil around the coffin of the late Queen, as it lay in state at Westminster Hall.[17] On 19 September, Lord Severn joined other family members at the state funeral.[18]
On 6 May 2023, James (now Earl of Wessex) attended his uncle Charles III's coronation at Westminster Abbey, together with the rest of the royal family. During the procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, he travelled in one of the horse-drawn coaches with his parents and sister. The next day they attended the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.[19]
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Further information: Mountbatten-Windsor |
The title Viscount Severn alludes to the Welsh roots of Sophie's family,[20] which James was accorded at birth, as heir apparent to his father's earldom.[21]
At birth, James automatically became a Prince of the United Kingdom due to Letters patent issued in 1917 assign a princely status and the style of Royal Highness to all male-line grandchildren of a sovereign.[22][23] However, when his parents married, Buckingham Palace announced that their children would be styled as the children of an earl, rather than as prince or princess.[24] In 2020, James's mother reaffirmed that James and his sister Louise retained the right to their royal titles and styles and could make a choice on whether to use them from the age of 18.[25]
On his father being elevated as Duke of Edinburgh, James became styled by courtesy as Earl of Wessex, now the family's senior subsidiary title.[26][27] The Dukedom of Edinburgh, being created as a life peerage, will become extinct upon his father's death, but as heir apparent to his father's hereditary peerages: Earl of Wessex, Earl of Forfar, and Viscount Severn, he is in line to succeed to the substantive title of Earl of Wessex, etc.[28]
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See also: List of honours of the British royal family by country |
James is eligible for the following medals:
6 February 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
6 February 2022: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal
6 May 2023: King Charles III Coronation Medal[29]In June 2008, to recognise Prince Edward's visit to the Canadian province of Manitoba, the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba named a lake in the north of the province after Viscount Severn. James's sister, Lady Louise, was similarly honoured by lending her name to Lake Louise in the same province.[30]
