The Earl of Wessex, James, made a rare public appearance at the Easter service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Sunday. The 18-year-old, who is the youngest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II, attended alongside his father, Prince Edward, while his mother, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and sister, Lady Louise Windsor, were absent.
According to HELLO! magazine, Sophie was feeling unwell, while Louise was occupied with her studies. James's last public outing was at the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church, where he joined his parents, sister, and cousins including Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
James and his sister have been raised largely out of the public eye. In a previous interview with the BBC, Sophie explained the decision: 'Certainly, when they were very young, we tried to keep them out of it. Only because for their sakes, to grow up as normally as possible we felt was quite important.'
Unlike other younger royals, James and Louise do not use HRH titles. Sophie told The Sunday Times: 'We try to bring them up with the understanding that they will very likely 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.'
James turned 18 in December and, like his sister before him, has opted not to use the style. Royal author Robert Jobson commented to HELLO!: 'It now looks likely that he will follow his elder sister's example and decline to use it, as she did in 2021.'
