IT’S DIFFICULT to be humble when you’re in the royal family – but one teenager has avoided the limelight until now.
James, Viscount Severn – son of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh – has just turned 17 and is breaking the mold of royal life.
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James, Viscount Severn, turned 17 on Tuesday Credit: Getty
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James is the youngest child of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who are also the parents of Lady Louise WindsorCredit: Rex
When he was born by caesarean section at Frimley Park Hospital on December 17, 2007, James was eighth in line to the throne and the youngest grandchild of the late Queen.
Despite now being 15th in the line of succession and often seen at high-profile royal events, little is known about him.
However, according to reports in Tatler, James was one of the Queen’s favorite grandchildren.
Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous: “Edward and Sophie deliberately kept him out of the limelight.
“But if James or his sister Louise wanted to take on royal duties or do charity work in the future, I’m sure there could be room for them, especially as the monarchy has been hit by illness, scandal and Megxit, meaning they are thin on the ground.
“I’m told that James used to be very shy, but in the last few years he’s grown up a lot and is now a very confident young man.”
Upgrade of the royal title
When Prince Edward and Sophie received their new titles as Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in 2023, James also received a promotion.
He inherited Edward’s subsidiary title and is now known as the Earl of Wessex.
When Prince Edward married Sophie in 1999, they decided that their future children would not have the attention-grabbing titles of prince or princess.
Phil added: “I think they got this approach from Princess Anne who didn’t want titles for her children Peter and Zara.
The Queen’s youngest grandson James, 14, stands with his sister Lady Louise at Her Majesty’s emotional funeral
“It meant they grew up without the burden of royal duties and built their own careers.”
However, James joined his parents and sister on his first overseas assignment in South Africa in April 2015 aged just eight.
Speaking about refusing her children HRH titles, Sophie said: “They have them and they can choose to use them at 18, but I think that’s very unlikely.”
The couple decided that their children would have subsidiary titles, with James being Viscount Severn (which was one of his father’s subsidiary titles) and his older sister being Lady Louise.
‘Severn’ was believed to have been chosen as a nod to Sophie’s Welsh heritage and the River Severn in Wales.
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Sophie and Edward refused to give Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn HRH titles Credit: Getty
Although they are in the public eye, Prince Edward and Sophie are said to be trying to keep their children down to earth.
Speaking to the Times in 2020, Sophie was asked how she was maintaining a ‘normal life’ and she replied “what is normal?”, before adding that they attend “regular schools”.
Academic Lady Louise is currently studying English at the University of St Andrews, which usually requires AAA for A level results.
Sophie previously said she was sure her “very bright” daughter would go to university, but said: “James, I don’t know.”
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James is said to be ‘sporty’ but ‘not into social media’ Credit: Rex
James has “a circle of close friends who treat him like a normal human being despite being the youngest grandson of the late Queen,” according to Phil.
The royal author added: “They say he’s good at sports and he’s certainly very good looking, so he’ll be attracting a lot of attention in the gossip columns for years to come.
“Every girl he dates will fall under the spotlight, but hopefully he’ll be well-equipped to handle it.”
James is said to “not like social media”, but Sophie admitted in 2020 that she and Edward planned to teach their children how to use it “successfully” as they get older.
Villa with 120 rooms
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Edward and Sophie raised their children at Bagshot Park in Surrey Credit: Getty
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It is said that the couple wants to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible Credit: Getty
The youngest brother of King Charles and his family live in the Bagshot Park country estate in Surrey, which has a staggering 120 rooms and is worth £30 million.
The surrounding land is within Windsor Great Park – located around 30 miles from London – and features a private lake.
There are also several stables, which is convenient for Lady Louise, who not only likes riding, like the late Queen, but also enjoys carriage rides.
Prince Edward recently extended his lease on Bagshot Park for another 150 years, so it looks like he won’t be moving anytime soon.
The family has lived in the lavish home since 1999, the same year the royal couple got married.
The royal romance of Sophie and Prince Edward
When Sophie met Edward in 1987, she was a PR for Capital Radio, but it was six years before they started dating.
They then began a serious romance, but took great pains to avoid photographers, especially when Sophie started sleeping over in Edward’s three-bedroom flat at Buckingham Palace. When he called Sophie at her office, the prince would use the name Richard – not that he had fooled her colleagues for long.
Six years after they started dating, Edward proposed with a £105,000 ring from jewelers Crown Garrard.
Starting a family was not easy. In 2001, Sophie experienced an ectopic pregnancy.
In 2003, the birth of daughter Louise was similarly dramatic. The baby was a month premature and Sophie lost nine liters of blood, had a C-section and was in hospital for 15 days. In 2007, she again gave birth to her son James by caesarean section.
Last summer, during the break before the second closure, Edward, Sophie and their children, now 17 and 13, were among the first to stay with the Queen and Philip at Balmoral and the last to leave.
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In 2016, James celebrated his ninth birthday by betting on the horses at AscotCredit: Getty
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James was seen driving a Land Rover Discovery on a private estate in Windsor when he was just 10 years old Credit: Kelvin Bruce
James – who turned 17 on Tuesday and is expected to pass his driving test soon – has been allowed to drive around the grounds for years.
When he was 10, he was also caught behind the wheel driving around the private grounds of Windsor Castle.
Another activity he was exposed to from an early age was horse racing and he was seen holding what appeared to be a betting slip at Ascot when he was just nine years old.
Strong connection with Mike Tindall
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Mike Tindall gave James a protective hug at the Queen’s funeral in September 2022 Credit: Getty Images – Getty
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James is the youngest of the grandchildren of the late Queen Credit: Getty
Meanwhile, royal fans have been delighted by the touching moment James, Viscount Severn was comforted by his cousin Mike Tindall as they attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.
He was seen alongside his sister as they made their way to Westminster Abbey to pay their respects to their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, at her state funeral after she died at Balmoral aged 96.
The former rugby player was seen putting his arm behind James’ back to comfort the then 14-year-old before the service.
Royal fans also praised the mature teenager as he kept the Queen’s vigil in Westminster Hall for 15 minutes of reflection.
Viewers said the teenager was “admirable” for keeping vigil at such a young age.
Down-to-earth upbringing
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James makes a funny face for photographers at Ascot 2016 Credit: PA: Press Association
From an early age, Prince Edward and Sophie tried to shield their children from the spotlight.
She told the BBC in 2016: “Certainly, when they were very young, we tried to keep them away from it.
“Just because for their sake we thought it was very important to grow up as normal as possible.
“They’re going to have to go out and find a job and earn a living later in life and if they’ve had a normal start in life that they can maybe get, hopefully that will serve them well. “
Sophie said her family loves barbecues, which Prince Edward is “very good at”, along with sleepovers and parties with friends and walking the dogs.
A close bond with Louise
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James, Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor have a ‘close relationship’Credit: PA
Although he is more than a decade younger than his cousins - who include Princess Eugenie, 34, Princess Beatrice, 36, Prince Harry, 40, and Prince William, 42 – he shares a strong bond with Lady Louise.
Phil said: “James has always been very close to his sister and they care and protect each other.
“But Louise is currently at St Andrews University in Scotland – where William and Kate met – and has a boyfriend so he sees less of her.”
Christmas look
Every year the royal family flocks to Sandringham to spend Christmas together, and this year Prince Edward, Sophie and their children are expected to attend.
Phil added: “We will see James at Christmas walking with the rest of the royal family to church at Sandringham and it will be interesting to see if he stops and talks to the crowds of people waiting.
“Then we’ll get a glimpse of his personality and hopefully we’ll see more of him.”
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James and Lady Louise are expected to be seen on Christmas Day with the royal familyCredit: Getty
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