Earl of Wessex Takes the Wheel at Balmoral as Royal Family Gathers for Summer
James, Earl of Wessex, the 18-year-old son of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, was spotted behind the wheel for the first time as he and his father toured the Balmoral estate this week (Royal Central).
The Duke of Edinburgh sat beside his son as James drove around the 50,000-acre Aberdeenshire estate, the royal family's traditional summer retreat. In the UK, you can start learning to drive at 17, though there is no indication how long James has been holding a provisional licence.
The sighting comes at a turning point for the young earl. Buckingham Palace announced earlier this month that James had achieved the A-Level grades he needed to take up a place at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, where he will study Rural Land and Property Management from September 2026 (People; Town & Country). The course fits neatly with the management of landed estates — the kind of practical training that runs in the family.
James was far from the only royal on the move at Balmoral. Princess Anne was seen driving her own car with her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, while King Charles and Mike and Zara Tindall were also spotted navigating the estate roads (Royal Central). The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived on the Thursday with their three children, joining the wider family for the annual summer gathering.
Away from the Scottish hills, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed they will return to the UK before the end of August. Archie and Lilibet, the couple's two children, are enrolled in British schools and will start the September term in the UK (Royal Central).
The Sussexes will live in a non-royal residence and remain private citizens — not working royals, with no "half in, half out" arrangement. The Duchess of Sussex could also return to acting, with the UK move partly linked to a potential comeback on the small screen.
The King was reportedly only told of the Sussexes' decision to return the previous Sunday. No mention of a possible relocation was made when he hosted the couple for afternoon tea at Highgrove House in July (Royal Central).
Prince Harry also faces a financial deadline before the month is out. He is due to pay his share of the initial £9.5 million in costs from the legal case he and several others lost against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, by the end of August.
For James, though, the milestones are quieter ones — a driving lesson on a Scottish estate, A-Level results that opened a university door, and a few last weeks of summer before the autumn term begins.
