James, Earl of Wessex, the son of Prince Edward and the Duchess of Edinburgh, will not become a prince, sources have claimed, despite celebrating his 18th birthday on Wednesday.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s two children, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, were not raised using prince or princess titles.
This was because their parents chose not to use the HRH titles available to them at birth.
When Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, Buckingham Palace announced their children would be styled as the children of an earl rather than as royal princes or princesses, despite being entitled to the titles under letters patent issued by King George V in 1917.
The decision was intended to give them a more normal upbringing while leaving the option open for them to use the titles later in life if they wished.
A friend of Prince Edward and Sophie has now told the Mail: “That’s the last sort of thing he’s interested in.”
In 2020, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, told Good Housekeeping: “We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living.
“Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles.
Duchess of Edinburgh's son set to shun Prince title: 'Last thing he's interested in'
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“They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely.”
Similarly, when Louise turned 18 in 2021, the now 22-year-old also chose not to begin using the HRH princess title.
In contrast, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are being raised with their prince and princess titles in Montecito.
Despite being US-based and unlikely to become working royals, a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told People in 2023: “The children’s titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch.
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James, Earl of Wessex is still at school while Louise is studying at university | PA“This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.”
In addition, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall were not given HRH titles after Princess Anne’s first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, declined an earldom when he married her, and she chose not to use titles for their children.
The Princess Royal told Vanity Fair in 2020: “I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles. So I think that was probably the right thing to do.”
Meanwhile, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, received the titles of princess at birth, following standard practice for children of a son of the monarch.
Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie are being raised with their princely titles
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The rules were changed ahead of the births of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis because of reforms introduced by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.
The late Queen issued updated letters patent to ensure that all children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales would hold the rank of prince or princess with the style HRH, regardless of gender.
This ended the system of male primogeniture, which would previously have allowed only the eldest son (Prince George) to automatically hold the title, ensuring Charlotte was a princess in her own right and that Louis also became a prince at birth.