Earl of Wessex | |
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 James at thecoronation of Charles III | |
| Born | James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn (2007-12-17)17 December 2007 (age 18) Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, England |
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| Family | House of Windsor |
James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex (born 17 December 2007), styledViscount Severn until 2023, is a member of theBritish royal family. He is the younger child and only son ofPrince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, andSophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
James is the youngest grandchild ofQueen Elizabeth II andPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a nephew ofKing Charles III. He was born during the reign of his paternal grandmother and was eighth in theline of succession to the British throne at the time of his birth; as of 2026, he is 16th.
James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor was born at 4:20 pm on 17 December 2007 atFrimley Park Hospital,Surrey bycaesarean section.[1][2] His fatherPrince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, is the youngest child ofQueen Elizabeth II andPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His motherSophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, worked in public relations before becoming a full-time member of the royal family after her marriage in 1999. His full name, James Alexander Philip Theo, was announced on 21 December.[3] He has one older sister,Louise.[1]
James wasbaptised on 19 April 2008 in the private chapel atWindsor Castle[4] byDavid Conner,Dean of Windsor, witnessed by hisgodparents,Alastair Bruce, Duncan Bullivant, Thomas Hill, Denise Poulton, Jeanye Irwin, and his paternal grandparents, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.[5]
James attendedEagle House School, a coeducational preparatory school nearSandhurst, Berkshire, from 2011 to 2021, before enrolling at the privateRadley College inOxfordshire.[6]
James made his first official appearance in the carriage procession atTrooping the Colour in 2016,[7] and also took part in the2022 Trooping the Colour.[8]
In September 2020, he joined his parents in supporting theMarine Conservation Society by taking part in the Great British Beach Clean atSouthsea Beach inHampshire.[9][10]
Following thethanksgiving memorial service for his grandfather Prince Philip on 29 March 2022, James attended thePlatinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving[11][12] and thePlatinum Party at the Palace in June 2022.[13]
On 17 September 2022, during the period ofofficial mourning for his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, James joined his sisterLouise and six cousins in mounting a 15-minutevigil around the Queen's coffin as itlay in state atWestminster Hall.[14] On 19 September, he joined other family members at the state funeral.[15]
On 6 May 2023, James, who then held the courtesy titleEarl of Wessex, attended his uncleCharles III's coronation atWestminster Abbey, together with the rest of the royal family. The following day, he attended theCoronation Concert atWindsor Castle.[16]
On 31 March 2024, James attended theEaster Matins Service atSt. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, with his mother and father. He was the only member of the younger generation of royals present.[17]
The titleViscount Severn alludes to theWelsh ancestry of his mother's family.[18] James was accorded this courtesy title at birth asheir apparent to his father'searldom.[19]
At birth, James automatically became aprince of the United Kingdom (Prince James of Wessex, now Prince James of Edinburgh) under the terms of the 1917letters patent, which assigned princely status and the style ofRoyal Highness to all male-line grandchildren of a sovereign.[20][21] However, when his parents married,Buckingham Palace announced that their children would be styled as the children of anearl rather than asprince orprincess.[22] In 2020, James's mother reaffirmed that James and his sister retained the right to theirroyal titles and styles, and could choose whether to use them from the age of 18.[23]
When his father was createdDuke of Edinburgh in March 2023, James becamestyled bycourtesy asEarl of Wessex, the family's seniorsubsidiary title.[24][25] The Dukedom of Edinburgh, having been created as alife peerage, will become extinct upon his father's death, but James remainsheir apparent to his father'shereditary peerages ofEarl of Wessex,Earl of Forfar, andViscount Severn.[26]
6 February 2012:Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal[27]
6 February 2022:Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal[27]In June 2008, to recognise Prince Edward's visit to theCanadian province ofManitoba, a lake in the north of the province was namedLake James. James's sister was similarly honoured byLake Louise in the same province.[28]
Media related toJames, Earl of Wessex at Wikimedia CommonsJames, Earl of Wessex Born: 17 December 2007 | ||
| Lines of succession | ||
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| Preceded by | Line of succession to the British throne 16th in line | Followed by |
| Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Gentlemen Earl of Wessex | Followed by |
Generations are numbered by their descent fromGeorge V andMary of Teck | ||
| 1st generation |  | |
| 2nd generation | ||
| 3rd generation | ||
| 4th generation | ||
| 5th generation | ||
*Descendant ofElizabeth II and therefore use the surnameMountbatten-Windsor, but officially considered members of the House of Windsor | ||
Mountbatten-Windsor family | ||
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Generations are numbered by their descent fromPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh andElizabeth II | ||
| 1st generation |  | |
| 2nd generation | ||
| 3rd generation | ||