Buckingham Palace appeared to make a rare mix-up on Sunday with an error printed in the Court Circular.
Eagle-eyed royal watchers noted the mistake, including the Daily Mail‘s Richard Eden, who shared it on social media.
The Court Circular, which is issued by King Charles‘s official headquarters and documents official engagements, recorded that James, the 18-year-old Earl of Wessex, attended a Regimental Gathering at Somme Barracks on Saturday.
However, the engagement was actually carried out by his father, Prince Edward, who is the Colonel of the Scots Guards.
Edward was granted the title of Earl of Wessex in 1999, before he married Sophie Rhys-Jones. He became the Duke of Edinburgh in 2023, on his 59th birthday.
This meant that James inherited the courtesy title when he was 15. He was previously known as Viscount Severn; however, he will not inherit the Dukedom of Edinburgh as it is not a hereditary title.
One royal fan suspected that there had been no error made at all, writing: “Whilst unusual, the entry is technically correct. Prince Edward is THE Earl of Wessex. His son James uses the courtesy title Earl of Wessex, without THE as he’s not the holder of the peerage.”
However, Edward does not actively use the title and is instead usually referred to as the Duke of Edinburgh in official listings.
Stepping into his dad’s shoes
Although James may not have attended the regimental gathering, he still filled in for his dad Edward at Royal Ascot last week.
Making his debut at the Berkshire racecourse, James was seen wearing a black morning coat and a top hat as he joined his mother, Duchess Sophie, in the royal box.
James’s blue-patterned tie even matched his mother’s azure-hued ensemble.
© Samir Hussein/WireImageThe teenager has had a busy month, having previously attended Peter Phillips’ wedding to Harriet Sperling in the Cotswolds.
He was seen towering over both his parents, and appears to be getting taller and taller by the day!
James’s older sister, Lady Louise Windsor, wasn’t seen with the other guests. She is currently concluding her studies at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, which may have explained her absence.
A normal royal upbringing
James is currently studying for his A-levels at Radley College, but his future plans remain unclear.
HELLO!‘s Online Royal Correspondent, Danielle Stacey, previously explained: “The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s children have largely grown up out of the public eye, so plans for their future education are not likely to be released in advance.
© WireImage“But there’s definitely a pattern for the royals to take gap years abroad before enrolling at university. Campuses in other cities are likely to afford them a greater deal of privacy than being in London, and means that they get the full student experience.”
Speaking to The Sunday Times in 2020, Sophie opened up about trying to bring her children up with a relatively “normal” upbringing.
She 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.”
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