King Charles’ nephew is facing a huge decision about his royal future.
We’re of course talking about James, Earl of Wessex, who is the son of Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
If you’re unfamiliar with the royal, he is the youngest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as well as being the nephew of King Charles III.
He is 16th in line for the throne, which is just ahead of his older sister Lady Louise Windsor, who is 22-years-old, because they were both born before the Succession to the Crown Act came into play in 2013, making it so succession to the Crown no longer depends on gender.
And he’s just reached a huge life milestone as he celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday (17 December).
Now, turning 18 is a massive moment for anyone – you’re legally an adult, can drink, vote, join the army, buy land, get a tattoo without parental permission – a whole world of possibilities!
But for royals, it adds a whole new layer to the levels of newfound responsibility.
This is because it’s a landmark age that comes with a key decision to make about your future – whether or not you want to adopt the style of His Royal Highness (HRH) and in James’ case, the ‘Prince’ title.
Now that he’s turned 18, he’s entitled to use both of these if he wishes, but it’s of course not mandatory.
James’s cousin, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, decided to stop using the HRH title when they stepped away from life as senior royals and moved to California, in 2020.
His other cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, also use their ‘Princess’ titles and HRH styling.
However, his sister Lady Louise opts not to, although she is just as entitled, so James could be following in the footsteps of his sister.
The Earl of Wessex’s official decision is yet to be announced, however, The Mail’s Richard Eden thinks that he won’t be taking on the title.
He wrote: “Prince Edward and Sophie’s son, James, turned 18 yesterday, but he won’t be celebrating by following the example of his cousins across the Atlantic.
“James, who has been the Earl of Wessex since his father became the Duke of Edinburgh, now has the legal right to be known as His Royal Highness and also Prince.
“However, while Harry and Meghan insisted their children be known as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, James will not, I’m told, be using his titles.”
His mother Sophie also previously revealed that James and Louise were ‘likely to have to work for a living’.
In a previous interview with Good Housekeeping, she said: “We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living. Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles.
“They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely,” as per WalesOnline.
