It was a father-son affair on Sunday, when Prince Edward stepped out with his son James, Earl of Wessex for the Easter service at church alongside other royals, and the girls stayed at home. The Duchess of Edinburgh didn't attend due to feeling under the weather and Lady Louise Windsor no doubt at studying to do in the final few months of her degree. As James followed closely behind his father ahead of the service, we couldn't help but notice the clear family resemblance.
© UK Press via Getty ImagesAs well as having a similar stature, the royals were dressing in sync with navy coats, white shirts and patterned ties. James kept his head down as they made their way into the place of worship, but did briefly crack a smile to the cameras, lifting his eyes up from under his tousled fringe.
© UK Press via Getty ImagesJames' special ring
Eagle-eyed fans may have also spotted that James was wearing a signet ring during the special appearance (visible in the photo below). Placed on the pinkie finger of his left hand, this type of ring is often an heirloom, and they tend to feature religious and spiritual symbols. James' father Edward sports a similar ring, and as to does King Charles. So perhaps it is a rite of passage for the 18-year-old royal – joining in with his male family members.
© UK Press via Getty Images
© Getty ImagesJames' royal title
When James turned 18, he was granted the right to use the official royal title of HRH Prince James, however, it appears as though, just like his sister Lady Louise Windsor, James may prefer not to use it. Princess Anne famously didn't give her children Zara and Peter royal titles, in order to try and give them a "normal' life. Princess Anne told Vanity Fair in 2020: "I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles… So I think that was probably the right thing to do."
© UK Press via Getty ImagesZara agrees with the decision, and in 2015 she told The Times: "I'm very lucky that both my parents decided to not use the title and we grew up and did all the things that gave us the opportunity to do."
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Prince George is growing up fast
It wasn't just James' appearance that got noticed, Prince George's height garnered a fair few comments underneath a video shared by Best Quality Designer Handbag on Instagram. "Oh my goodness, George is nearly as tall as his mum" and "If Catherine didn't have heels on George would be her height! I can't believe how much the children have grown," were among them. A third penned: "Prince George has shot up."
"There'll be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in, in the world"
© Getty ImagesOne day Prince George will inherit a great responsibility, given his place in the line of succession, but his father Prince Willaim has asserted that it is business as usual in terms of family life for now. "There'll be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in, in the world. But right now, it's just a case of keeping a secure, stable environment around him and showing as much love as I can as a father," the father-of-three said to royal journalist Nicholas Witchell, as reported in Russell Myers' book, William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story.
