James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn (born 17 December 2007) is the younger child of

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibl ...

, and

Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar, (born Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones, 20 January 1965) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, the youngest brother of King Charles III. She grew ...

. He is the youngest grandchild of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a nephew of

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

. He is 14th in the line of succession to the British throne.

Birth and baptism

Viscount Severn was born on 17 December 2007, at Frimley Park Hospital in Frimley, Surrey. The names James Alexander Philip Theo were announced on 21 December. He was

baptised Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

on 19 April 2008, in the Private Chapel of Windsor Castle by David Conner, the dean of Windsor, and his godparents were

Alastair Bruce of Crionaich Major-General Alastair Andrew Bernard Reibey Bruce (born 25 June 1960) is a journalist and television correspondent, and a senior British Army reservist and officer of arms of the Royal Household. He commanded the TA Media Operations Group ...

, Duncan Bullivant, Thomas Hill, Denise Poulton and Jeanye Irwin. He wore a newly made replica of the royal christening gown originally used by

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seyche ...

, the eldest child of Queen Victoria, in 1840. It has been worn for most royal christenings since then, and the original gown has now been preserved. , Viscount Severn attended

Eagle House School Eagle House School is a coeducational preparatory school near Sandhurst in Berkshire, England. Founded in 1820, it is one of the country's oldest preparatory schools. History Eagle House was founded in 1820 at Brook Green, Hammersmith. In 186 ...

, a coeducational preparatory school near Sandhurst in Berkshire.

Official appearances

In April 2015, James and his sister, Lady Louise, participated in their first overseas engagement by accompanying their parents on a trip to South Africa. In September 2020, James participated in the Great British Beach Clean with his family at Southsea Beach in Hampshire, in support of the

Marine Conservation Society The Marine Conservation Society is a UK based not-for-profit organization working with businesses, governments and communities to clean and protect the oceans. Founded in 1983, the group claims to be working towards "cleaner, better-protected, h ...

. In March 2022 James attended the memorial service for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In June 2022 he attended the

Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving The Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul's Cathedral in London on Friday 3 June 2022, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II.Platinum Party at the Palace The Platinum Party at the Palace was a British music concert, held outside Buckingham Palace on The Mall in London on 4 June 2022, in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The concert began at 20:00 ( BST). Comedian Lee ...

. On 17 September 2022, during the period of official mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, James joined his sister and six cousins to mount a 15-minute vigil around the coffin of the late Queen, as it lay in state at Westminster Hall. On 19 September, he joined other family members at the state funeral.

Titles, styles, and honours

Titles and styles

James is styled as ''Viscount Severn'', a

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some con ...

that is his father's

subsidiary title A subsidiary title is a title of authority or title of honour that is held by a royal or noble person but which is not regularly used to identify that person, due to the concurrent holding of a greater title. United Kingdom An example in the Unit ...

. The creation of this viscountcy acknowledged the Welsh roots of Sophie's family: the River Severn rises in Wales. Letters patent issued in 1917 assign a princely status and the style of '' Royal Highness'' to all children of a monarch's sons. When his parents married,

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ha ...

announced that their children would be styled as the children of an earl, rather than as prince or princess. Thus, court communications refer to him as ''Viscount Severn''. In 2020, the Countess of Wessex and Forfar stated that James and his sister

Lady Louise Windsor Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor (born 8 November 2003) is the elder child of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar, both members of the British royal family. She is a granddau ...

retained their royal titles and styles and will make a choice on whether to use them when they each turn 18.

Honours

6 February 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee MedalPeter Phillips, Zara Tindall, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn have mounted a vigil around their grandmother’s coffin at Westminster Hall
/ref> * UK Queen EII Platinum Jubilee Medal ribbon

UK Queen EII Platinum Jubilee Medal ribbon

6 February 2022: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal In June 2008, to recognise a visit by his father to the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three pr ...

of Manitoba, the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba named a lake in the north of the province after James.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Severn, James, Viscount 2007 births Living people 21st-century English people English Anglicans English people of Danish descent English people of German descent English people of Greek descent English people of Russian descent English people of Scottish descent British courtesy viscounts James James, Viscount Severn James People educated at Eagle House School People educated at St George's School, Windsor Castle People from Bagshot People from Frimley James, Viscount Severn James