Queen Elizabeth II, who died two years ago, was the mother of 4 children with Prince Philip. His 8 grandchildren were also his pride. If some are very popular across the Channel like Prince William or even Zara Tindall, others are much more discreet. Impossible to ignore the youngest: James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn who became Earl of Wessex when his father, Prince Edward, became Duke of Edinburgh after the coronation of his brother, King Charles , last year. Louise’s little brother for mother the very discreet Sophie Rhys-Jones, which according to the media would have been “favorite daughter-in-law” of the late sovereign.
James Mountbatten-Windsor who currently lives with his parents at Bagshot Park, a 17th century estate nestled near Windsor as reported by Daily Mail, was born on December 17, 2007 at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey… And when he was born, he weighed only 1.5 kilos! Like other of his cousins, he was baptized in the private chapel of Windsor Castle in April 2008. Another detail which is important, with his sister they do not bear the title of prince or princess, because their famous parents wanted them offer a life as normal as possible without the weight of the burden of royal titles. “I guess not everyone’s grandparents live in a castle, but it’s not where you go that’s important, or who they are. When they are with the Queen, she is their grandmother“, Sophie Rhys-Jones had notably notified, evoking their links with their ancestor. Remember that James Mountbatten-Windsor is also eighth in the order of succession to the throne.
James Mountbatten-Windsor: his discretion sets him apart
Since the passage of the Succession to the Crown Act, male children are no longer ahead of their female brothers and sisters in the order of succession. This reform, which came into force eleven years ago, only applies to people born after October 28, 2011. Thus, James’ position in the order of succession remains ahead of that of his sister Louise, who was born in 2003. Few things leak about him in the media. Shortly after his birth, according to our colleagues, his father described him as being “small, cute and cuddly“. With his wife, Prince Edward didn’t want to choose a first name for him before he came into the world.
“You have to get to know the little person who has just come into the world before choosing a first name.“, he declared. If King Charles III wanted his descendants to study in prestigious establishments, James did his in two “normal” and mixed schools near his home: Eagle House and St George’s. 2020, Sophie Rhys-Jones revealed to Times that her two children loved sleepovers, parties with friends and orchestrating walks with their dog. A few months ago, the young man towering over his mother already seemed to have almost overtaken his father, who nevertheless measures almost 1.80 meters. It was difficult not to notice it during the last Easter mass organized in the presence of the royal family, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, last May.
Nine years ago, James made his first trip abroad at the age of eight, joining his parents and sister in South Africa where they visited the Ubunye Foundation in Grahamstown. “It is very important that my children immediately see, upon their arrival in South Africa, that it is not just about magnificent animals and beautiful landscapes (…)“, confided the former sister-in-law of Diana Spencer, godmother of the association which helps rural communities to become autonomous, to The Express. Multiplying public appearances alongside his clan, the teenager made a strong impression in 2022 by standing near the coffin of Elizabeth II with other of his cousins, like Princes William and Harry or even Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie at a vigil at Westminster Hall. Naturally, James Mountbatten-Windsor also attended the funeral with his family of his grandmother whom he loved so much…
