The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh marked a personal milestone on Wednesday as their son, James, Earl of Wessex celebrated his milestone 18th birthday.
While Prince Edward and Sophie were pictured driving through the gates of Buckingham Palace to attend the King's pre-Christmas lunch with their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, 22, on Tuesday, James appeared absent from proceedings.
It's an important academic year for the teenager as he's now in the final year of his A-Level studies and is expected to sit his final school exams next spring.
Little is known about James, who is unlikely to carry out full-time royal duties once he has completed his education, but his mother shared some insight into their family life in 2020 during an interview with The Sunday Times.
Revealing that Edward likes to take James fishing, she added of her children at the time: "They go to friends for sleepovers and parties. At weekends we do lots of dog walking and stay with friends."
Lady Louise is expected to finish her four-year English degree at the University of St Andrews in Scotland next summer, with the sporty youngster throwing herself into extra-curricular activities, including drama productions and St Andrews University Officers' Training Corps.
"We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living," Sophie previously said of her children. "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."
When Edward and Sophie became the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in 2023, James took on his father's former title, Earl of Wessex. James was previously known as Viscount Severn, but his father's dukedom - which in the past has been hereditary – will not, however, pass down to James when Edward dies.
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© Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty ImagesProud parents Sophie and Edward with their second born
Birth - 2007
James was born on 17 December 2007 at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, as the youngest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. At birth, he was eighth in line to the British throne, but is now currently 16th.
He was baptised in the chapel at Windsor Castle in April 2008 and he became the first royal baby in modern history to wear a replica of the original Honiton lace royal christening gown, which was made for Queen Victoria's daughter, Victoria, Princess Royal, in 1841.
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© Getty ImagesThe family at the Royal Windsor Horse Show
Family day out - 2009
James and his older sister, Lady Louise, have largely grown-up out of the public eye, but here is the family enjoying a day out at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2009.
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© Getty ImagesThe family celebrated a gold
London 2012 Paralympics
Edward and Sophie are patrons of various sporting initiatives and the couple took their children to soak up the atmosphere at the London 2012 Paralympics, where they cheered on the rowing team as they brought home the gold.
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© WireImageThe youngsters making their carriage procession debut
Trooping the Colour 2016
James made his debut in the carriage procession to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday parade, before appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the flypast.
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© GettyThe late Queen's grandchildren took part in a vigil
Honouring granny - 2022
Alongside his sister, Lady Louise, and their cousins, Princes William and Harry, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, James held a vigil at the coffin of his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, at the Palace of Westminster, before her state funeral in September 2022. The Duchess of Edinburgh later told The Telegraph that was "just so proud of them all," before adding: "I suppose there was a part of me initially that thought, 'Would it be appropriate for James, perhaps, to do it?' because he was younger than the others, but he was really keen to do it. And I think it was really important for him to do it, and obviously for Louise as well.
"But they did it so well, each and every one of them. I was slightly holding my breath, wanting them to feel that they'd done it well more than anything else. I wasn't worried about anything happening; it was more that I wanted them to feel that they'd done their bit for their grandmother. It was incredibly moving, and lovely to see her surrounded by them."
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© Max Mumby/IndigoOn Easter Sunday with his parents
Debut with new title - 2023
Just weeks after his father was given the title of Duke of Edinburgh on his 60th birthday in March 2023, James made his first public appearance with his own new title. The youngster attended the Easter Sunday service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, marking his first public appearance since becoming the Earl of Wessex.
