From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Alexander Philip Theo Windsor^[1], Viscount Severn (born 17 December 2007) is a member of the British Royal Family. He is the second child and only son of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and is eighth in line to the throne. It is expected^[2] that he will be referred to as "Viscount Severn".

Lord Severn was born by caesarean section at 1620 UTC on 17 December 2007 at Frimley Park Hospital. At birth he weighed 6 pounds and 2 ounces (2.8 kg).^[3] Prince Edward, who was present for the birth of his second child, remarked that the birth was "a lot calmer than last time" and that his wife was "doing very well" and that his son was "like most babies, rather small, very cute and very cuddly." ^[3] He was named four days later.^[4]

He has one older sister, Lady Louise Windsor.

British Royal Family
HM The Queen HRH The Duke of Edinburgh HRH The Prince of Wales HRH The Duchess of Cornwall HRH Prince William of Wales HRH Prince Henry of Wales HRH The Princess Royal HRH The Duke of York HRH Princess Beatrice of York HRH Princess Eugenie of York HRH The Earl of Wessex HRH The Countess of Wessex Lady Louise Windsor Viscount Severn HRH The Duke of Gloucester HRH The Duchess of Gloucester HRH The Duke of Kent HRH The Duchess of Kent HRH Prince Michael of Kent HRH Princess Michael of Kent HRH Princess Alexandra
v • d • e

• 17 December 2007 —: James Windsor, Viscount Severn
  • Legally: His Royal Highness Prince James of Wessex

Letters patent issued in 1917 (and still remaining in force today) assign a princely status and the style of 'Royal Highness' to all male-line grandchildren of a monarch. The baby is thus entitled to all of these, and as such would be referred to as His Royal Highness Prince James of Wessex.^[5] However, when his parents married, it was announced that, in accordance with their wishes, their children would not be styled as princes or princesses with the style Royal Highness, but rather as the children of earls.^[6] The eldest son of an earl is customarily accorded one of his father's subsidiary titles by courtesy, and so it is presumed that the baby will be referred to as "Viscount Severn", despite his theoretical status as a prince.

1. ^ Given his proper title under the 1917 Letters Patent, HRH Prince James of Wessex holds no surname; but, when court communications give him a surname in order to refer to him without this royal style, it will presumably, as in the case of his older sister Louise, be Windsor.
2. ^ http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,70131-1297848,00.html
3. ^ ^{a b} BBC News – Countess gives birth to baby boy
4. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ifs_news/hi/newsid_7156000/7156438.stm?ifs=1
5. ^ Royal Styles and Titles – 1917 Letters Patent
6. ^ News story from the BBC