James, Earl of Wessex

## James

*Earl of Wessex*

*Commonwealth Games, 2022*

## Media

Gallery

**James, Earl of Wessex** (James Alexander Philips Theo Mountbatten-Windsor; born 17 December 2007), is the younger child and only 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 younger nephew of King Charles III. James is currently 15th in the line of succession to the British throne.

## Birth and baptism

James was born at Frimley Park hospital in Surrey, England on 17 December 2007 by C-section, the younger child of Prince Edward and Sophie, then The Earl and Countess of Wessex. James’s full name, James Alexander Philip Theo, was announced on 21 December.

James was baptized on 19 April 2008, in the private chapel of Windsor Castle by David Conner, Dean of Windsor. His godparents are Alastair Bruce, Duncan, Bullivant, Thomas Hill, Denise Poulton, in Jeanye Irwin.

## Education

Since 2020, James has attending an Eagle House School, a coeducational preparatory school, near Sandhurst in Berkshire. He has also trained with the St John Ambulance cadets.

## Official Appearances

In April 2015, James and his sister Louise went on their first overseas trip with their parents to South Africa. In 2020, he and his parents participated in the Great British Beach Clean at Southsea Beach in Hampshire to support the Marine Conservation Society.

On 17 April 2021, James attended the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip. The following year, on 29 March, James attended Prince Philip‘s memorial service.

That same year in June 2022, James attended the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving and the Platinum Party at the Palace to celebrate his grandmother’s 70 years on the throne.

On 17 September 2022, during the period of official morning for Queen Elizabeth II following her death nine days earlier, James and his sister joined their six cousins to mount a 15 minute vigil around her coffin as she lay in state at Westminster Hall. Two days later, James attended the state funeral.

On 6 May 2023, James attended the coronation of his uncle King Charles III and his wife, Camilla at Westminster Abbey. During the procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, James traveled in one of the horse drawn coaches with his parents and sister. The next day he attended the coronation concert at Windsor Castle.

## Titles, styles, and honours

### Titles and styles

* 17 December 2007- 10 March 2023: Viscount Severn
* 10 March 2023- present: Earl of Wessex
	+ in Scotland: Earl of Forfar

James, under the 1917 letters patent, as the grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II through her son, Prince Edward, holds the status of Prince of the United Kingdom, and at birth, had been entitled to be styled as “His Royal Highness Prince James of Wessex” and is currently entitled to be styled as “His Royal Highness Prince James of Edinburgh”since his father became the Duke of Edinburgh in 2023.

However, it was at Prince Edward’s request that his children be styled as the children of an Earl, as he was Earl of Wessex at the time.

As the heir apparent to the earldom of Wessex, James was instead styled using his father subsidiary title Viscount Severn which alludes to the Welsh roots of Sophie‘s family.

In 2019, James became the heir apparent to Prince Edward’s, Scottish title, Earl of Forfar.

In 2023, James’ father was given the title of the Duke of Edinburgh, and as a courtesy, James is styled using his father‘s highest ranking subsidiary title, which is now Earl of Wessex. James, however, is not going to inherit the dukedom of Edinburgh, as it was bestowed upon his father as a life peerage rather than a hereditary one.