Tall James Earl of Wessex makes very rare appearance at Easter Service

It was a family affair on Sunday morning as the royals stepped out to attend the Easter service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

As with any royal outing, you never know who might turn up to mark the festivities, and eagle-eyed fans may have spotted a particularly rare appearance from James, Earl of Wessex, the son of Prince Edward and Sophie, The Duchess of Edinburgh.

James, 18, is the youngest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and while his sister Lady Louise Windsor is often seen at royal events, he tends to keep a lower profile.

However, the roles appeared reversed this Easter, as the tall teenager stepped out alongside his father Edward, while his mother Sophie and sister Louise were absent. HELLO! understands that Sophie was feeling “under the weather”, while Louise was busy with her studies.

James’s last public appearance 

James was last seen publicly at the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church, where he attended alongside his parents, sister and cousins, including Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

© Alamy Stock Photo

James and Louise’s privacy

Despite his parents’ high-profile royal engagements, James and Louise are said to have been raised as privately as possible.

Speaking previously to the BBC, Sophie explained: “Certainly, when they were very young, we tried to keep them out of it. Only because for their sakes, to grow up as normally as possible we felt was quite important.”

© Getty Images

She continued: “And they’re going to have to go out and get a job and earn a living later on in life and if they’ve had a normal a start in life they possibly can get, then hopefully that will stand them in good stead,” Sophie continued.

While other younger members of the royal family hold HRH titles, Sophie and Edward chose not to style their children in this way. “We try to bring them up with the understanding that they will very likely 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,” Sophie told The Sunday Times. 

© UK Press via Getty Images

James turned 18 in December and, like his sister before him, has opted not to use the style.

“It now looks likely that he will follow his elder sister’s example and decline to use it, as she did in 2021,” royal author Robert Jobson told HELLO!.

© Getty

“When Louise turned 18 in 2021, she had the right to adopt the style of HRH and the title of Princess. She declined. She has continued to be known as Lady Louise Windsor and has lived firmly as a private individual rather than a working royal,” Robert continued.

“James remains legally entitled to be HRH Prince James, despite currently using the courtesy title Earl of Wessex. But Louise’s decision makes the family’s preference clear: titles may exist on paper, but they need not be used.”