King Charles’ nephew gains royal title and ‘makes big decision’ after Sophie’s warning

James, Earl of Wessex, the son of Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, had to make a key decision about his life after turning 18 yesterday

King Charles’ nephew has made a huge decision about his life as a member of the Royal Family after recently coming of age, it has been claimed. James, Earl of Wessex, the son of Charles’ youngest brother, Prince Edward, and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, turned 18 yesterday (December 17), a landmark age that came with a key decision to make about his future.

Having now reached the age of 18, James is entitled to adopt the royal titles of His Royal Highness (HRH) and Prince. Senior royals typically have the letters HRH included in their titles, but they don’t always decide to use them.

It seems that James intends to take after his mother and won’t be “following the example of his cousins”, according to the Mail’s Richard Eden.

Richard wrote: “Prince Edward and Sophie’s son, James, turned 18 yesterday, but he won’t be celebrating by following the example of his cousins across the Atlantic.”

View 3 Images

James, Earl of Wessex, the son of Charles’ youngest brother, Prince Edward, turned 18 yesterday (Image: Getty Images)

He continued: “James, who has been the Earl of Wessex since his father became the Duke of Edinburgh, now has the legal right to be known as His Royal Highness and also Prince.

“However, while Harry and Meghan insisted their children be known as Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, James will not, I’m told, be using his titles.”

It may not be surprising to royal watchers, however, as Sophie has commented on the subject previously. She disclosed that her and Edward’s two children, James and Lady Louise Windsor, were “likely to have to work for a living”.

Sophie said: “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. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely.”

In further comments about her children’s upbringing, Sophie noted that they attended a “regular school” and, in a bid to provide them with normal lives, they’d enjoyed sleepovers and “lots of dog walking”, reports Metro.

View 3 Images

James reportedly won’t be “following the example of his cousins” (Image: UK Press via Getty Images)

James and Louise’s cousin, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, agreed to stop using the HRH title when they stepped away from life as senior royals and moved to Montecito, California, in 2020.

Article continues below

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is another member of the Royal Family who no longer uses his titles, including HRH, Duke of York and Prince, following intense media scrutiny over his links to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (Andrew has consistently denied the allegations levelled against him).

Yet another example of a prominent royal figure not using the HRH title is Zara Tindall, the daughter of Princess Anne, but this is due to tradition, as only male royals in the line of succession can reportedly pass the title on.

According to a 1917 declaration by King George V: “The grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms.”