Queen Elizabeth Has a Favorite Grandson and It’s Not William or Harry
I know everyone’s current royal interests are Prince Harry, Prince William, and a bunch of possibly inbred corgis, but please turn your attention to James, Viscount Severn. Never heard of him? That’s probably because he’s extremely low-key and out of the spotlight.
James is the 13-year-old son of Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, both of whom are taking on more engagements in the wake of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s decision to step down from royal duties. This means we might see James—and his sister, Lady Louise—at a few more royal events in 2021, so the time has come to learn a lil more about him.
^Am I alone in thinking he looks just like Prince Harry, btw?
His Full Name Is So Intense
While James “informally” goes by James C-O-M-M-A Viscount Severn, his actual name is James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor. Gonna go ahead and assume that “Philip” is a reference to the Queen’s late husband, Prince Philip, and we know for sure that the whole “Viscount Severn” thing is a shout-out to the River Severn in Wales, where his mom is from!
There’s a Reason He’s Not a Prince
Wondering why James is a mere viscount while his cousins are princes and princesses? His parents simply wanted their kids to have more normal lives and decided to give them “courtesy” titles. Nothing more normal than being a viscount, ya know?
He Might Become an HRH at 18
Like his older sister, James doesn’t currently go by “His Royal Highness” (HRH), but his mom told the Sunday Times he can opt in when he turns 18—if he wants to:
“We try to bring them up with the understanding that 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 it’s highly unlikely.”
He’s 14th in Line to the Throne
James is 14th in line to the throne, right before Lady Louise. So…why is he ahead of his sister even though she’s older? Lady Louise is after James in the order of succession because of a mere technicality: The 2013 Succession of the Crown Act (which prevents a younger son from displacing an older daughter) simply doesn’t apply to people born before it was enacted. Lame.
He Has a Lake Named After Him
Back in 2008, Prince Edward visited the Canadian province of Manitoba, and they went ahead and named a lake in the area after James. To which I say: RUDE, why are there no bodies of water named after me??!?!??!?!
He Grew Up in the Fanciest House Ever
Actually, it’s more like a castle. Edward and Sophie raised their kids at Bagshot Park in Surrey, a sprawling property near the Queen’s home in Windsor. In fact, James frequently has tea with his grandma on the weekends! As Sophie put it, “We’re a lot more fortunate because we live so close to the Queen, so when she spends a lot of time at Windsor on the weekends, our children are more fortunate because they can go over and have tea with her on a regular basis.”
He’s the Queen’s Favorite Grandson
While Lady Louise is said to be the favorite grandchild in general, James is Her Majesty’s second fave. A source told The Sun, “The Queen loves the fact that Louise and James relish their time at Balmoral, and she has become particularly close to Louise, who seems to have become her favorite grandchild, closely followed by James.”
Lol, sorry, Harry and William.
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