James Middleton Reveals Middleton Family "Prerequisite" Prince William Had to Meet to Marry Kate

(Image credit: Getty Images ¦ Handout)

Prince William is famously close to his in-laws, the Middletons, with royal sources noting on numerous occasions how Carole, Michael, Pippa and James serve as an example of a "normal" family for the prince. As Princess Kate's brother James noted, he gets along famously with the Prince of Wales—and he passed one very important test as Kate's royal boyfriend.

As a dog breeder and pet food company founder with a passion for country life, James is known for his love of animals, especially dogs. The youngest Middleton sibling credits his late dog Ella with saving his life, writing a memoir about his experience with depression and how Ella even helped him meet his wife, Alizée Thevenet.

In a recent interview with Hello!, James said sisters Kate and Pippa are "passionate" about their own dogs, but he's "on another scale of passionate." Both Pippa's dog, Rafa, and Kate's dog, Orla, are cocker spaniels like Ella, with Prince William and Princess Kate having welcomed Orla into the family shortly before their beloved dog Lupo's 2020 death.

Due to their family's obsession with cocker spaniels, James was asked by Hello! if it was "a prerequisite" for the future King "to like dogs before he could join the Middleton family."

James and Kate Middleton at the 2007 Concert for Diana — A young Kate brought her brother to the 2007 Concert for Diana.

Kate Middleton and Prince William's 2011 wedding — James and his parents are seen standing behind William and Kate at their 2011 wedding.

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Meet Ella: the Dog Who Saved My Life

It seems James approved from the start, with the Meet Ella author replying, "He had a long love of dogs. He had a very strong relationship with a black lab called Wigeon growing up, so he knew the powers of what dogs can do."

When it comes to his family, James praised their tight-knit circle. "We're a close family, and we’re fortunate in that we see lots of each other. My parents play a good role in getting us all together in that respect."

And that means dogs included. James said his sisters and brothers-in-law love sharing in family moments with their cocker spaniels. "Wherever they go, they bring the dogs with them, so I see lots of them, which is lovely," he said.

"We've been brought up knowing that you can't take family for granted," James added. "You don't get to choose them, as you can choose your friends. But I don't think you can give up on your family like you can sometimes with friends."

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.