James, Earl of Wessex, will receive his A Level results today.
James Wessex will receive his A Level results today (Image: Getty)
Though he’s a regular at set piece royal events such as Trooping the Colour and the Christmas and Easter church services, not much is known about James, Earl of Wessex. He’s the youngest child of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and is 17th in the line of succession, having recently been bumped down by the arrival of Princess Eugenie’s baby girl and being eighth in line at birth.
James has held the title of Earl of Wessex since 2023, having been elevated from Viscount Severn after his dad took on the dukedom. The royal turned 18 at the end of last year and has just finished studying at Radley College, an independent boarding school in Oxfordshire.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
But despite his links to the crown, James’s parents were adamant that he would have as normal an upbringing as possible. This is why Edward and Sophie left the decision of titles up to them, aware of the burden and expectation that comes with them.
Since James and older sister Louise became adults, neither has decided to use HRH titles, preferring instead to live as private citizens away from the royal gaze.
“They’ve both grown up very grounded and fully aware that they will need to earn a living,” a royal source said. “Neither of them want to be working royals or have titles, they value their privacy and want to live ordinary lives.”
But the insider added that they will continue to support their parents and enjoy attending set piece events when they can. “They just don’t want to be known simply as the King’s niece and nephew, and James doesn’t want things to change now he’s left school.”
Edward and Sophie have brought them up on the understanding that they will have to secure jobs rather than rely on their family name to get by.
This is why today is crucial for James’s future, as he joins thousands of students across the UK who are collecting their final A-Level results.
James Wessex knows he needs to work for a living (Image: Getty)
It’s an extremely nerve-wracking yet exciting day and I remember it well. Fortunately first thing in the morning I received confirmation from my preferred university that I had made the cut, which lessened the fear that I had failed every exam and would be destined to stay a waitress forever.
Young James is likely feeling similar nerves, as though grades aren’t everything, they certainly help get you on the ladder – whether that’s university or straight into employment.
And instead of spending the summer chilling out at the family’s Surrey mansion, Bagshot Park, his parent’s bid to raise him within a normal environment is already starting to pay off as he secured himself a summer job on the Sandringham Estate.
The 18-year-old is working as a farmhand on the estate, the Sun reported last weekend, working long hours driving tractors.
Louise, who is now 22, also had a summer job before university, working in a garden centre before heading to the University of St Andrews to study English and International Relations.
She’s also worked part time during her studies, such as the Royal Windsor Horse Show and serving as an official during the International Carriage Driving Competition.
James is expected to take a similar trajectory as his sister, and spend the next few years studying at university before figuring out what he wants to do.
Some sources have suggested he may take a gap year, which is what his sister is doing having finished her degree, before heading to university next year.
But whatever the outcome, it’s clear from those close to him that he’s growing up to be a grounded, hard-working young man who wants to make his own way in the world.
“You wouldn’t know he was royal,” an insider said, and that’s exactly what his parents intended.