James Alexander Philip Theo: Queen’s youngest grandchild was in pensive mood as he offered final farewell at funeral
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: As the Queen of England will be laid to rest on Monday, September 19, within the King George VI Memorial Chapel, her youngest grandchild was seen at Westminster Abbey for the funeral service. James, Viscount Severn, came to the church to bid a final farewell to his grandmother along with his elder sister, Lady Louise Windsor.
As per The Daily Mail, both the children of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar, were seen beside each other as they joined their cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozz. It has been said that both James and Louise have lived closer to their grandparents while growing up than any of the other grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The Wessexes reportedly have lived at Bagshot Park, which is only 11 miles away from Windsor.
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Both the siblings do not hold prince and princess titles. Their mother reportedly said in 2020: “We try to bring them up with the understanding that 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 it’s highly unlikely.”
Besides, in 2016, the Countess told BBC, “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. 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.”
Meanwhile, it has been said that though James largely stays away from public limelight, he loves to be a part of the family's yearly summer holiday in Balmoral. The teenager is reportedly “good at flipping burgers and liked to get fully involved whenever there was a family barbecue at Balmoral.”
A source apparently shared in 2019, “His enthusiasm for fly fishing delighted Her Majesty because it’s a sport beloved of James’ great-granny, the late Queen Mother. James was in the Dee as often as possible, waders up to his armpits. His mother Sophie, who is a keen fisherwoman herself, liked to stand with him. The Balmoral ghillies [gamekeepers] were impressed with both of them.”
The sighting of James and his 18-year-old sister came after Her Majesty breathed her last on September 8. A statement from Buckingham palace regarding her funeral read, “The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September at 1100 hrs BST. Prior to the State Funeral, The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects.”
“Following the State Funeral, the Coffin will travel in Procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch. From Wellington Arch, the Coffin will travel to Windsor and once there, the State Hearse will travel in Procession to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle via the Long Walk. A Committal Service will then take place in St George's Chapel,” it added.