James grew up thinking he was a born to the Paenn family, wealthy socialites that really should not have had children at all. The family treated the children in the home very unkindly: James, Nicholas and Rita. All three suffered at their hands and were eventually taken in by their grandparents at the age of ten, who took full custody and made sure that the Paenn's weren't allowed to try to take them back again. Gareth, their grandfather, was the most ruthless about the whole thing and their grandmother, Lillian, was always doting on the children, James leaning on her more than Gareth. 

When they were younger, he often tried to take whatever brunt of the hurt he could, but when he couldn't, he hid away or escaped to the local coffee shop where their parents never thought to look for him. 

Lillian ended up teaching James to read, he had always struggled with it before, only to find that he was just behind because of the family environment he'd been living in. Now, he loves escaping into books, often hiding out in his room away from the others. He's always felt like the odd one out, even when there is more peace now that the three are with the grandchildren. 

James goes to school to Oxford, where he falls in love with the area and the school. He graduates with a history and literature degree and is hired on as the new history professor considering how well liked he is there and given the current professor is retiring. James settles in well with teaching and he makes new friends, often forgetting the drama of his family and his past while there. He ends up in a small flat, despite the fact that he's got family money, he doesn't flaunt it. 

Eventually, the scandal is brought forth and the William's boys are taught that they were not Paenn's or William's at all, but Fox-Mountchirsten-Windsor's. Born to the royal family in a scandal where he had been ripped apart from his twin, Henry. They are brought to the palace to be taught how to be royal. But James spirals out of control and runs back to his tiny flat in comfort. He resumes acting like nothing is going on and continues teaching despite the royals wishing he would settle into their world. As far as James is concerned, he doesn't fit in there and prefers sticking to what he's used to. He ends up going into therapy due everything crumbling around him and finds out he has a slew of mental health conditions, including autism, which really don't surprise him at all the more he researches it. James tries his best to work a familial bond with his new siblings: Henry, Beatrice and Philip, but he's not so sure that works out in his favor after all.

Due to everything, James struggles with a lot of identity issues and may seem reserved, but he can be open when given the chance. At Oxford and his apartment is where he feels more comfortable with himself. As far as he is concerned, he's not a lost prince, but himself, just James. He does keep the name Williams in an effort to remain attached to his grandfather and grandmother, the two who really were the only parents who had ever truly cared for him. 

extra: 

– James is heavily affiliated with @dutyled as Nicholas is his main 'twin' with Henry Fox being another twin related to them.