He joined all his cousins in mourning their late grandmother and stood vigil with a strong demeanour.
James, Viscount Severn, the youngest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, stood for the vigil held at Westminister Hall on Saturday, September 17th. He proved himself to be a mature individual beyond his age. He looked serious as he stood alongside his family to mourn the death of his grandmother. All of the late Queen's grandchildren were there, including Prince William, the Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, clad in the Blues and Royals costume, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, and Lady Louise Windsor.
During the 10-minute vigil, the 14-year-old bent his head and gazed down at the ground. As a homage to their loving grandmother, the eight grandchildren assembled at Westminster Hall and held a vigil by the Queen's casket reports People magazine. For James, the public display of grief is especially poignant because Edward and Sophie chose not to grant their children prince and princess titles at birth, keeping them mainly out of the royal limelight.
According to a royal source, James made the choice to publicly memorialize his late grandmother among his cousins inside the ancient Hall. "The grandchildren, at the King's invitation, are very keen to pay their respects," they said. James' mother has previously explained the reasons why she and Edward decided to not give their children royal titles at birth, which they were entitled to as grandchildren of the Queen.
She told The Times, "We try to bring them up with the understanding they are very likely to have to work for a living. Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles." Despite this, according to King George V's 1917 Letters Patent, both James and his sister Louise can opt to use the titles when they reach the age of 18.
Speaking to mourners gathering outside Sandringham House on Thursday, Prince William earlier reflected on how tough it had been for him to repeat the walk he did as a 15-year-old during Wednesday's ceremonial procession behind the Queen's coffin. Jane Wells told The Telegraph, "He said how difficult it was yesterday and how it reminded him of his mum's funeral. It's just been such a difficult time for all of them, for the whole family."
The procession was followed by a service commemorating the Queen at Westminster Hall, which James, Prince William, and their other cousins attended. Princess Eugenie was seen wiping away tears in one snap as she stood with family members. Her husband, Jack Brooksbank, joined her. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Beatrice's husband, and Mike Tindall, Zara's husband, were also there.
References:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/can-sophie-countess-of-wessex-steady-the-royal-ship-qngnxsdcg
Cover Image Source: Getty Images/WPA Pool
