On Air Now
Rob Howard and Kelly Brook 4pm - 7pm
Who are the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children Lady Louise Spencer and James, Viscount Severn?
5 August 2022, 13:36
Prince Edward and his wife Sophie the Countess of Wessex have recently become more senior members of the Royal Family.
Prince Edward, 58, and Sophie Wessex, 57, have gone from relatively unknown to two of the most senior members of the Royal Family in just a few years.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex stepped into more significant roles within the Royal Family following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to leave royal life for the US, as well as Prince Andrew's demotion.
Since then, Edward and Sophie have been busy attending royal engagements together, alone and alongside Her Majesty the Queen.
Their two children, Lady Louise Spencer, 18, and James Viscount Severn, 14, have in turn also been in the spotlight more in recent years.
Who is Prince Edward?
Prince Edward is the Queen and Prince Philip's fourth and youngest child.
The Earl of Wessex's siblings are Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Prince Charles.
He was born on March 10, 1964 at Buckingham Palace and is now 58-years-old.
It was in 2002 that Edward announced he would be serving the Queen full-time, prior to this he had a career in theatre and television production.
Since becoming a full-time working royal, Edward has dedicated a lot of time to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, which he has now become responsible for following Prince Phillip's death.
The Earl of Wessex met his wife, Sophie Wessex, at a Real Tennis event in 1993.
The couple announced their engagement in January 1999, and tied the knot at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in June of the same year.
Who is Sophie Wessex?
Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, is the wife of Prince Edward and a full-time working member of the Royal Family.
Born Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones, her name and title changed when she wed Edward in June 1999, becoming Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex.
Sophie was born on January 20, 1965, to Christopher Bournes Rhys-Jones and the late Mary Rhys-Jones. She is their second child and first daughter.
Prior to becoming a full-time working royal, Sophie had a very successful career in public relations, even owning her own agency which she co-ran with her partner for five years.
Following her wedding to Prince Edward, the couple welcomed two children; Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
Who is Lady Louise Windsor?
Lady Louise Windsor is the eldest child of Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex.
She was born on November 8, 2003 via Caesarean section after her prematurity (one month early) caused some complications.
Lady Louise was born with esotropia, a condition that turns the eyes outwards, and underwent an eye operation when she was only 18 months old.
This procedure, however, was unsuccessful and the royal went on to have another surgery in 2014 which reportedly fixed all her vision issues.
You'll probably have seen Lady Louise Windsor pictured carriage driving over the past few years. This is a passion and hobby which she is believed to have inherited from her late grandfather, Prince Philip.
Who is James Viscount Severn?
James Viscount Severn is the youngest child of the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
He was born James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor on December 17, 2007.
James holds the title Viscount Severn after Edward and Sophie decided, with the approval of the Queen, that their children would not take on the titles Prince and Princess.
Instead, they decided their children would be given titles reserved for the children of an Earl.
Read more Royal Family news:
- Prince William and Kate Middleton 'moving family to Windsor Estate' to be closer to the Queen
- Princess Charlotte joins Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Commonwealth Games
- Glastonbury viewers convinced they spotted the Queen in festival crowd
