The 18-year-old’s summer off after finishing his A-levels at Radley College in Oxfordshire did not consist of any lounging by the pool. Instead, youngest nephew of King Charles, James, the son of Prince Edward and Sophie was pictured driving tractors across Britain’s favorite Royal estate.
King Charles III’s Sandringham where the King has been a working landowner for decades.
The Kings longest acting, and currently reigning relative has already been pictured in a tractors cab around the estate which comprises of a 2,700 hectare, fully organic land which contains livestock as well as significant arable land to be farmed daily.
Members of the sandringham team looked surprised when they saw the Prince driving tractors and working the land alongside normal workers.
One Sandringham worker told news outlets that-”It’s just wonderful to see James in his element. Everyone is just so used to seeing James in a smart suit with all his family at christmas and easter receptions with Charles, that I had to do a double take”The worker added that he was”more than happy to roll his sleeves up” and has spent most of his working hours helping out at the King Charles estate in the run up to the summer holidays.
King Charles himself began his transition in fully-sustainable farming on the 7,200-hectare site back in 2017 and ever since his mother Queen Elizabeth II death has only worked more. Son of Prince Edward and Sophie, James is following in a more down-to-earth path to that of his sister, Lady Louise who has in the past enjoyed working in retail jobs, previously taking on a job in a garden centre working with animals where she reportedly had her hand on more than a few spades during her summer holiday in the lead up to the University of St Andrew, but was in the midst of all this- earning less than a fiver an hour.
His HRH parent-less siblings did this from a very young age and would only visit Charles ‘s other home Windsor on specified dates- in keeping with tradition.
Lady Louise has also recently announced plans to open her own business in London by early 2025, after several years of her business studies degree- however, this career move could still change for Prince Edward’s daughter to continue as Prince, Earl or other noble title instead with her previous studies of the classics that would make her ideal.
Speaking in a previous BBC interview regarding the parenting of James and his elder sister, Duchess Sophie commented on the need for her young relatives to grow up with normality.” When they were very young… we’d just keep them out of it basically – only because, for their own sake, the growing up as normal as they possibly could, was quite important.
When they were growing up. It was for their education.” added the mum-of-two. “We feel it’s very important for the children to be part of that to understand how it’s all works, as part of their upbringing.””
They are going to have to go out and get a job and earn a living in the future, and if they’d had as normal a start as possible that might serve them in good stead.”
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The future steps for HRH the Earl of Wessex have not yet been confirmed, it’s not known for certain if the king’s nephew is going to head straight for University , go on a structured gap year, or pursue some other course of study but for now… it’s tractors for James!