THE Queen’s youngest grandchild, 13-year-old James, Viscount Severn, is the son of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
The young royal is 13th in succession to the throne, and will likely be taking on some more responsibility in the coming years.
Who is James, Viscount Severn?
James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor, 13, is the son of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones.
James, whose full name is James Alexander Philip Theo, was born at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.
He and his sister, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, are the Queen’s youngest grandchildren.
According to reports from Tatler, James is one of the Queen’s favourite grandchildren.
The youngster was born by caesarean section at Frimley Park Hospital on 17 December 2007. The BBC reported at the time that his father described his newborn son as ‘very cute and very cuddly’.
James was baptised in 2008 in the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle and his godparents are Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, Duncan Bullivant, Thomas Hill, Denise Poulton and Jeanye Irwin.
He currently attends Eagle House School – a prep school near Sandhurst in Berkshire.
Louise and James took part in their first overseas engagement in April 2015 when they accompanied their parents on a trip to South Africa.
And in 2011, age 7, Louise was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince William and Kate.
The kids live with their parents in Bagshot Park in Surrey, but the family’s official London residence is based at Buckingham Palace.
Why is Prince Edward’s son not a Prince?
Unlike the rest of the Queen’s grandsons, James does not hold the title of prince and is not addressed as HRH.
He is styled as the son of an Earl and goes by James, Viscount Severn.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have eight grandchildren – including Louise and James, Peter and Zara Phillips, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Princes William and Harry.
Yet not all were given hereditary titles.
Prince Edward, upon his wedding to Sophie Rhys-Jones, agreed with the Queen that their kids would be deemed as children of an Earl, instead of being called His or Her Royal Highness.
Princess Anne’s children, Zara and Peter also don’t have royal titles but Louise and James are the Queen’s first male-line descendants not to have one.
