A rarely seen member of the monarchy was spotted attending the Easter Matins service at St George’s Chapel on Sunday.
Despite being a first cousin of Princes William and Harry, and the son of two of the most widely adored royals, James, Earl of Wessex, doesn’t get much limelight these days.
As such, when he arrived at Windsor Castle for this weekend’s festivities, he immediately set tongues wagging.
For those unfamiliar with the teenager, James is the only son and youngest child of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh – better known as Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex.
The couple also share a daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, 22. Louise was not in attendance this week, however, given that it’s her final year at university. She is currently enrolled at St Andrews, where she studies English.
Their mother, the Duchess, Sophie, was also nowhere to be seen, having reportedly fallen ill prior to the Easter weekend.
James, who celebrated his 18th birthday in December, was seen wearing a smart navy suit, which he’d paired with a red tie and an oversized coat.
Unlike other members of the Royal Family, who were seen turning their heads to the official photographers in attendance and waving proudly, James kept his gaze firmly on the ground as he made his way into the church.
He’s only been spotted out and about a few times in the past – another, more recent public appearance came in May 2023, when he attended his uncle, King Charles III’s, Coronation.
Given his lack of high-profile appearances, James’s attendance at Windsor seemingly sparked confusion amongst several onlookers.
After a photograph of him following cousin William, Kate Middleton and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, went viral online, one Reddit user asked of James: “Who’s the emo kid in the background?”
Another noted, ‘George is so tall’, before double-checking: “Also, is that James Wessex behind them?” Yes, it is.
James is currently 16th in line for the throne, placing just ahead of his older sister 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.
Having recently turned 18, he’ll soon be dealt the responsibility of deciding whether or not to adopt the style of His Royal Highness (HRH) and, in James’ case, the ‘Prince’ title.
As a reminder, his 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, citing mistreatment from the monarchy.
His sister, Louise, followed in the couple’s footsteps, going by ‘Lady’, as opposed to HRH.
On the other hand, his other cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, decided to keep their ‘Princess’ titles and HRH styling.
According to royal expert Richard Eden, it’s more likely than not that James will prefer to go by a more low-key title.
“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,” he previously wrote for The Mail.
“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.”
