Royal Ascot is one of the most important annual events on the Royal Family's calendar. While multiple royals attended Day 1 of Royal Ascot, Princess Kate and her family members waited for Day 2 to make their entrance. Notably, Carole Middleton caught everyone's attention in a light pink ensemble, arriving alongside her daughter-in-law, James Middleton's wife, Alizee Thevenet.

For the regal occasion, Carole followed in Princess Kate's footsteps with a clever royal rewear. The Middleton matriarch rewore the Catherine Walker coat dress she originally wore to her daughter Pippa Middleton's 2017 wedding to James Matthews. Catherine Walker, of course, is a brand beloved by her daughter Kate, and Carole opted to also wear a hat by the designer.

Carole drew inspiration from Princess Kate for her matching accessories, too, which were all acquired from royally-approved labels. The former Party Pieces owner carried Emmy London's Mabel Textured Leather Bag in Misty Rose, along with the brand's Lisa Suede Slingback Pumps in the very same shade, via @royalfashionpolice.

Carole also took style notes from the Princess of Wales with her jewelry choices. Princess Kate's mom wore a pair of Kiki McDonough's Grace Mini Lavender Amethyst and Diamond Detachable Earrings.

It seems that Carole is very inspired by daughter Princess Kate's style, just like that rest of the world.

James Middleton and Alizée Thevent don’t often hit the red carpet together, but they enjoyed a date night on Thursday, June 4 at the London Air Ambulance Charity gala—and Princess Diana's twin nieces also joined the party.

Thevent, who married Middleton in 2021, wore a pair of crisp cream trousers and a matching long-sleeved blouse. She added a pop of color with pointed-toe pale blue pumps, accessorizing with a chunky, triple-strand pearl necklace and black enamel earrings.

Meanwhile, Princess Kate’s little brother sported a smart black tuxedo as he posed with his wife on the red carpet.

Princess Diana’s twin nieces, Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Eliza Spencer, also attended the gala, coordinating in glamorous black Oscar de la Renta gowns.

Eliza, who announced her engagement to boyfriend Channing Millerd last summer, chose a sheer dress with black floral appliques, carrying a matching Oscar de la Renta cube bag. She wore the same Chatila Jewels diamond necklace she wore earlier Thursday for an Alice + Olivia dinner hosted by Stacey Bendet and Nicky Hilton Rothschild.

Lady Amelia also chose an Oscar de la Renta design, wearing a sleek black column gown embellished with mother-of-pearl and crystals on the bodice. She carried a coordinating Oscar de la Renta clutch covered in the same beading, and like her sister, kept her Chatila Jewels diamond statement necklace on for the evening.

For the Alice + Olivia event, the sisters—both styled by Sian Gabari—wore pastel mini dresses, with Eliza in a butter yellow style and Amelia choosing an icy blue design.

The London Air Ambulance Charity is one that's close to Prince William's heart. The Prince of Wales, who is a former air ambulance pilot himself, has served as patron of the organization since 2020. Although he didn't attend this year's gala, William has been instrumental in raising funds to replace the charity's aging fleet, and teamed up with David Beckham in 2024 to introduce two of their new helicopters.

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Like her late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth, Queen Camilla is also a huge dog lover, so it’s fitting she's served as patron of the charity Medical Detection Dogs since 2014. Princess Kate’s brother, James Middleton, has made dogs his life’s work, and the duo caught up at a Clarence House reception—along with some four-legged friends.

Dog breeder James, who founded premium pet food company James & Ella, is also working with Medical Detection Dogs, and The Queen greeted him with a hug and kiss at the event.

“It’s lovely that you are supporting them, you are doing some feed for them, aren’t you?” Queen Camilla said, per the Daily Mail. Middleton replied, “Yes, treats,” adding he felt “really fortunate to be involved.”

The Queen, James and other guests witnessed demonstrations of the “incredible” work the medical detection dogs do, such as spotting when people are in distress or even sniffing out specific conditions like bowel cancer.

“I’m mind-blown by what they do,” Middleton told Queen Camilla. “It’s incredible. We can learn from dogs as much as they learn from us.”

While James breeds cocker spaniels, Queen Camilla is a fan of Jack Russell terriers and also has a mixed-breed rescue dog, Moley. The tiny dog even starred in a 100th birthday video for Sir David Attenborough last week along with a cast of wild animals.

At the reception, one woman named Lucy told Queen Camilla about the impact her own medical detection dog has had, with The Queen replying, “They are extraordinary the way they change your life.”

Princess Kate and her siblings, Pippa Middleton Matthews and James Middleton, have spoken many times about their idyllic childhood. Birthday parties at home, porridge for breakfast, and happy memories spent as a family. Despite the incredibly diverse lives they all lead as adults—one as the future Queen, another married to a billionaire, and the third an entrepreneur hobby farmer—they all return home to Bucklebury for Middleton family get-togethers, as if life is totally normal.

Luckily for James Middleton, his parents are always happy to help with his 2-year-old son, Inigo. Living in a farm adjacent to Bucklebury Manor, Carole and Michael Middleton’s large family home, makes it easy to stop by for a dog walk or storytime. "I'm very fortunate to have my parents and that they're able to help," Middleton told Hello. "There's a dynamic in their having been parents [themselves], they've fulfilled a different role being a grandparent.”

"I have wonderful childhood memories of my grandparents and of activities that we used to do with them,” James Middleton said. Princess Kate has echoed the sentiment, remembering days in the garden with her grandmother and even sharing Granny Middleton’s now-famous chutney with the late Queen Elizabeth II as a Christmas present. “I hope that Inigo generates the same sort of memories with my parents,” James said.

James Middleton recently shared a sweet photograph of Granny Carole reading the classic Beatrix Potter story The Tale of Benjamin Bunny to her youngest grandson, in an intimate snap shared on Instagram. While Granny Carole is regularly there to help with those early toddler years, James Middleton’s son Inigo doesn’t think he needs the help. "He's Mr Independent now,” James revealed. “Everything from shoes to getting dressed is: 'No, no, I can do it. I'm a big boy.'” James adorably wondered, “When do I tell you that your T-shirt is the wrong way around and your shoe's on the wrong foot?”

Bees were a hot topic during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit to the United States last week, and keeping the insects is a hobby that’s also shared in Princess Kate’s family. In a new interview with Hello! magazine, James Middleton opened up on his own love of beekeeping—and his lack of honey “rivalry” with sisters Kate and Pippa.

“Within the family, we're often exchanging a jar for a jar,” he told the outlet. “It's incredible how different places produce different types of honey and different-tasting honey.”

Princess Kate has donned a beekeeping suit to celebrate World Bee Day and shared her homegrown honey during royal events, just like The King and Queen enjoy keeping their own bees. But James says that his big sister—who is famously competitive when taking part in activities with Prince William—keeps it cool when it comes to honey.

When asked if there was any rivalry about which Middleton had the best honey, James replied, “Not at all.”

“The beekeeping community is about sharing advice and experiences, because no two years are ever the same,” he continued. “So it's about sharing knowledge. I wouldn't say there's any rivalry at all.”

James, 39, credits his family with getting him involved in the hobby after they gifted him 1,000 bees for his 24th birthday, per Hello!

Along with sharing their love of beekeeping, Pippa and Kate have stood by their brother during his mental health challenges over the years. In his memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, James shared how his sisters went to therapy appointments with him and helped him through a period of deep depression.

"I jokingly say that I had three mothers growing up. I had my mother and my two sisters, who were mothering figures to me," he said in a previous interview with Hello!

Princess Kate’s brother, James Middleton, shared some family photos on Instagram to celebrate his 39th birthday, and in one sweet snapshot of himself and his wife, Alizée Thevenet, she’s wearing a very familiar piece of royal clothing. In the picture, James kisses his wife on the cheek as they stand on a mountain top, and Alizée appears to be wearing the same quilted brown leather vest that both Kate and Pippa Middleton sported in the early 2000s.

My group chat was abuzz last evening when a post by Middleton Maven on Instagram revealed the coincidence, with the blogger sharing a photo of Kate in 2006 alongside the image of James and Alizée. The vest in question is a piece from Hidepark Leather, and Alizée paired the quilted style with a yellow sweater, light-wash jeans and a flat cap.

Princess Kate wore the leather vest to watch Prince William play in an “old boys match” at Eton College in 2006, along with a private trip to Norfolk that December, when she paired the gilet with a scarf and Western-style hat. Pippa then wore the same vest in photos for her party planning book Celebrate, which was published in 2012.

Whose vest it was to begin with—or whether their sister-in-law happened to own the same 20-year-old style—remains a mystery. But in his birthday post, James reflected on the last year of his thirties.

“Today’s my birthday and every year feels like a bigger climb ⛰️ but reaching the top and seeing how far you’ve come never gets old ❤️” James wrote, sharing a carousel of photos from a hiking trip in England’s Lake District. “Entering the final year of my 30s and more excited than ever….”

While Princess Kate accompanied the Royal Family to church for their annual Easter Matins service, Carole Middleton made her own unexpected appearance for Easter Sunday.

Even though Carole didn't attend church alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales or their children—the extremely tall Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—she delivered her own Easter surprise. In an adorable photo shared by Kate's brother, James Middleton, Carole could be seen reading Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Benjamin Bunny to her grandson Inigo.

James captioned his Instagram post, "We are back...Many of you have been asking if I am ok. I have been absent from social media for a while. The truth is, this Lent I decided to give up social media (and it was wonderful)."

Princess Kate's brother continued, "Sometimes we don't fully realize the pressure social media puts on us until we take a step back. If I could offer one piece of advice for 2026, it would be to try it yourself; a week, a month, or even longer." He concluded his post by writing, "Anyhow...we're back! [wife] Alizée, [son] Inigo, the dogs, and I are wishing you all a very Happy Easter and thank you for checking in on me."

Additional photos shared by James revealed his beloved dogs and his son Inigo enjoying the outdoors.

Basically, while Princess Kate was busy celebrating Easter with the Royal Family, Carole appears to have been enjoying the countryside with her grandson Inigo.

Good news for Prince Louis! James Middleton says there are benefits to being the youngest sibling in a family, and he would know. In an interview with Hello, Princess Kate’s younger brother shares that “one of the wonderful things about being the youngest [sibling] and having children last is that there is an abundance of paraphernalia that comes in very handy" when you have children.

James’s son, Inigo, turned two recently, and he has six older cousins to look up to. "There’s seven grandchildren, so six cousins for him, and it’s wonderful spending time together and making memories,” James said of Princess Kate’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and Pippa Matthew’s children, Arthur, Grace, and Rose. "We're really fortunate to be a very close family, and so we get together as a family relatively regularly, and love that opportunity.”

The Middleton family has always been close, and it seems they have become even closer since starting their own families. James Middleton’s farm backs up to his parent’s property, Bucklebury Manor, and Pippa and James Matthews own Bucklebury Farm Park and live nearby. Despite living so close, James shares that his family is “definitely at the end of the phone if we need a bit of advice.”

James spoke of the support his big sisters and parents provide, saying "you’re always on edge with being a parent, particularly this time of year with coughs and colds and sniffles going around the place.” James may be new at parenting, but he is always on hand to help out with the family dogs. “Equally, they know that I’m on the end of the phone if they need a bit of advice on managing their dogs,” he said.

In his interview with Hello, James highlighted the Dog’s Trust Christmas campaign to find a “happy place” for pets during the holidays. When asked why the royal family is so fond of dogs, from Queen Elizabeth II’s corgis to Prince William and Princess Kate’s working cocker spaniels, James said "I think it’s because dogs don’t care who you are. A dog looks at the King or Queen the same way that my dogs look at me.”

Princess Kate's younger brother James Middleton gave fans a special holiday treat when he shared a rare glimpse at his son Inigo in a new Instagram Reel on December 18. Two-year-old Inigo showed that he takes in his dog-loving family's footsteps as he decorated a Christmas tree in the clip—and proud parents James and his wife Alizée Thevenet were especially patient this year.

"It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas🎄🐾," James captioned his Instagram post. "Decorating the tree took a little longer this year…Inigo insisted on introducing every ornament to the dogs first, complete with a kiss or cuddle. Needless to say… there are a lot of dog decorations on our tree!"

In the sweet video, Inigo included two of the family's black cocker spaniels, along with golden retrievers Mabel and Isla, in the tree decorating fun, giving them plenty of hugs and kisses along the way.

Mabel kept a close watch on Inigo throughout the process, and James previously posted that Inigo was an especially big fan of the golden retriever, who starred in the toddler's special second birthday post.

"Happy Birthday Inigo 💙," he wrote on Instagram in September. "We love you as much as you love Mabel….and that is a lot 🐾."

While Inigo has yet to join his family at a public royal event, both James and Alizée attended the Princess of Wales's Together at Christmas concert on December 5, along with parents Carole and Michael Middleton. And since James and Alizée live close to both James's parents and sister Pippa Middleton, there's sure to be plenty more sweet family moments with Inigo this Christmas.

Princess Kate's brother, James Middleton, and his wife, Alizée Thevenet, rarely make public appearances with the Royal Family, but there's one event you can guarantee they're not going to miss each year. The couple, joined by parents Carole and Michael Middleton, made their annual appearance at Princess Kate's Together at Christmas concert on Friday, December 5.

Carole coordinated with the entire Wales family—who wore shades of blue and green to the concert—in a black watch tartan coat, while James looked dapper in a navy wool coat, skinny trousers and whimsical red dog socks. But French-born Alizée skipped the blues and greens in favor of a very Parisian outfit at Westminster Abbey.

Thevenet arrived at the concert in an oversized beige checked coat by it-girl label Sézane, pairing it with the brand's matching Ciara trousers. The slightly flared, cropped pants combined with the outfit's camel, black and brown pattern gave her outfit a very '70s vibe, and she paired it with a white sweater with a ruffled collar and a pair of tan suede booties.

Alizée added another French-girl touch to her outfit, carrying a burgundy Longchamp bag from the Parisian brand's new collection. She removed the leather design's crossbody strap and carried it by its handles as she arrived at the concert, which is held at Westminster Abbey each December.

James and Alizée married in 2021 and welcomed their son, Inigo, in 2023. The couple live in Berkshire near the Middletons and are famous dog lovers, with James crediting his late dog, Ella, for saving his life during a period of deep depression and suicidal ideation.

As for James's big sister, Kate, she re-wore a forest green Catherine Walker coat and a Troy London fur collar for the 2025 Together at Christmas concert, adding a Miu Miu tartan skirt underneath.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis also attended the festive event, with Charlotte, 10, trading her favorite Trotters coat for a cropped navy jacket with a white pilgrim collar and a matching navy dress. Meanwhile, George, 12, and Louis, 7, matched with dad Prince William in blue suits and blue-and-green ties.

This week, royal fans have been closely following Donald Trump's state visit to the U.K., during which he has made several appearances with the royal family, including at a state banquet on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Prince William and Kate Middleton were both in attendance at the event, at which Kate stole the show in one of her most regal looks yet—a hand-embroidered gold Chantilly lace and silk crepe couture gown by British designer Phillipa Lepley accessorized with the Princess of Wales' beloved Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara.

Royal fans everywhere were buzzing about Kate's look and the state banquet in general, and even the royal's younger brother, James Middleton, weighed in publicly after the event.

Middleton shared his thoughts in a comment on a picture Will and Kate shared from the event through their official Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram account.

The post included a picture of the royal couple posing at the state banquet and was captioned, "Ready for The State Banquet 🇺🇸🇬🇧."

Although the post shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram account included both the American and British flags in its caption, Middleton's comment made a subtle-but-strong statement about his own patriotism amid Donald and Melania Trump's state visit.

“Proud to be 🇬🇧,” Middleton commented.

This isn't the first time Middleton has used his platform to comment on a political topic. In July 2024, he took to Instagram to encourage his followers of all political affiliations to get out and vote.

"No matter your paw-litical stance, make sure your voice is heard today 🗣️ #ElectionDay #EveryVoteCounts #DogsForDemocracy #dogsatpollingstations," he wrote in the caption of the post, which also included a picture of four of his dogs posed in front of a polling station.

Middleton is an avid dog lover and frequently includes his dogs—which include golden retrievers Isla and Mabel, and cocker spaniels, Ella, Inca, Luna, Zulu and Nala—in pictures on his Instagram account.

The 38-year-old's love of animals (particularly dogs) is something he's incorporated into his work as both an entrepreneur and activist. He's been clear about the role his dog Ella played in his mental health journey and in inspiring him to start his company, James & Ella.

"I founded James & Ella, a happiness and wellbeing company for dogs, as a way of giving back to my dogs that have done so much for me," Middleton explained in a post on the company's website. "Ella, my eldest black cocker spaniel, is the namesake of our company. She is my teacher, therapist and best friend."

Middleton added that Ella's support and presence were pivotal in his decision to work with a therapist to address his own mental health struggles.

"Ella came to every single one of my therapy sessions. I’d make excuses not to go, if Ella couldn’t be there with me," he wrote. "Just being by my side, she was helping me tremendously and had an immense positive impact. It’s not always been easy for me to talk about my struggles with anxiety and depression, but Ella has been the one to encourage me to get the help I needed."

Middleton's dedication to advocating for animals and mental health awareness is probably matched only by his consistent and vocal support for his family, including his famous older sister.

In March 2024, Middleton shared a tribute in support of Kate amid news of her battle with cancer. The post included a childhood picture of the siblings with a heartfelt message of support as its caption.

"Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together," he wrote. "As a family, we will climb this one with you too ⛰️❤️."

Princess Kate's younger brother, James Middleton, isn't just a dog lover—he's made it into his career. The James & Ella dog food founder has been outspoken about how his late Cocker Spaniel, Ella, was instrumental in saving his life during a bout of serious depression, and in addition to his pack of dogs at home, he's also a breeder. Prince William and Princess Kate have been the lucky recipients of two of James's puppies, Lupo—who died in 2020—and their current dog, Orla. Now, James has opened up about why businesses should include dogs in the workplace.

The Daily Mail's Richard Eden shared a conversation with James, 38, in his latest "Eden Confidential" column. "Dogs in the workplace should be a generic 'yes' unless there is a very good reason to say 'no,'" he said, per the media outlet.

The Meet Ella author has long been a proponent for canine companions to improve mental health, and he shared how dogs help his employees boost their creativity during the workday.

"I started the business during the pandemic and the whole team works remotely," he explained. However, when the James & Ella team is working onsite together, James allows his employees to bring their dogs along.

"When we all get together, there are dogs everywhere and I really believe they increase productivity," he said. "Ideas come from those 15-minute breaks, taking them out to the garden."

James isn't the only member of the Middleton family who can't get enough of dogs. Along with owning one of James's Cocker Spaniels, the Prince and Princess of Wales followed in his breeding footsteps when their dog, Orla, welcomed puppies in May. And Sister Pippa Middleton also owns one of Ella's puppies, Rafa, as well as a black Lab.

It's been a while since a baby has been running around the Wales family's home, but Princess Kate's brother, James Middleton, gave fans a rare peek at his son, Inigo Middleton, on Instagram July 1. The 1-year-old splashed in a bucket in the sunny Reel—and unlike the rest of the Middleton family, Inigo has platinum blonde hair.

"Bath time in a bucket 🛁 ☀️ does it get any better than that… I just wish I could fit! ❤️" James captioned the video, which featured Inigo bathing in a metal bucket on their lawn. At one point Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis's little cousin even blows an adorable kiss as he enjoys his outdoor bath. At the end of the clip, proud dad James comes over to help wash his son's hair after Inigo attempts to do it himself.

The Meet Ella author doesn't often share photos of Inigo on social media—and conceals the baby's face when he does—but the video gave the world a closer look at Inigo's sweet personality (and his super blonde hair). Unlike his dad and aunts Pippa and Kate, who are all brunettes, Inigo seems to have inherited his fair-haired mother's genes.

Fans jumped in to share their thoughts on the cute summer clip, like one who wrote, "Gorgeous little blondie ❤️❤️❤️" and another who commented, "OMG How cute he is. He blows a kiss, wets his head. So much cuteness in this video. ❤️❤️."

James welcomed his only child with wife Alizée Thevenet in September 2023 after the couple married in a joyful September 2021 ceremony in France.

Earlier this year, the James & Ella dog food founder—who credits his late dog, Ella, with saving his life following a period of suicidal ideation—told Hello! magazine's "Daily Lowdown" podcast that Inigo "spent the first year of his life thinking he was a dog."

"He'd crawl around on all fours, which was entertaining to watch," James said.

James Middleton often opens up about his famous sisters, Pippa Middleton and Princess Kate. Recently, he shared that Pippa and Kate attended therapy with him in 2017, and that he felt as though he "had three mothers growing up" thanks to the support of his two sisters. After discussing the "unconditional" support the entire Middleton family offered the Princess of Wales during her cancer treatment, James has spoken about the sometimes "complicated" relationship he has with his siblings.

In an interview with the Mirror, James Middleton said of Princess Kate and Pippa, "They've seen me at my best and at my lowest, and they've always been there when I've needed them." He explained, "I'm incredibly fortunate to have my two sisters, not just as siblings, but as friends."

However, the author of Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life also noted that familial relationships aren't always smooth sailing.

James told the outlet, "Sibling love is something unique, you can't choose your siblings, it can be complicated, it takes work, but when it's strong, I believe it's one of the most powerful bonds there is."

The author elaborated on the things he's learned from Kate and Pippa through the years, pointing to their "emotional intelligence" in particular.

"They've always been emotionally open, expressive, and in tune with the people around them, and I think being surrounded by that kind of emotional intelligence rubbed off on me, even if I didn't fully realize it at the time," James told the Mirror.

James—who has been open about his own mental health journey—reflected on Kate and Pippa's influence, saying, "Looking back, I think it gave me permission, in a way, to feel things more deeply and to name those feelings when they came up." He continued, "That doesn't mean I always found it easy."

James admitted that addressing his own mental health needs didn't necessarily come naturally, but having Kate and Pippa's support was invaluable. "But having strong women around me who led with compassion and honesty definitely helped me learn that vulnerability wasn't weakness, it was strength," he explained.

This story discusses depression and suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

James Middleton recently shared his "unconditional" support for sister Princess Kate as she underwent cancer treatment. In the same interview, James discussed how sisters Kate and Pippa Middleton accompanied him to therapy in 2017.

The author of Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life has been open about his own mental health journey. Speaking to The London Times, James discussed being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and clinical depression, and how therapy formed part of his treatment plan. "I think the biggest challenge was that I had my own stigma about mental health," James told the outlet.

James also revealed that both of his sisters attended therapy with him, which was greatly beneficial. "Having them there meant that I knew I was surrounded by people that truly understood what I was going through," he explained.

James also highlighted the important work the Prince and Princess of Wales have done when it comes to destigmatizing mental health. "And you know, credit to my sister and brother-in-law [Kate and Prince William] for what they were doing with [the] Heads Together [charity] at the time," he said.

In an excerpt from his book Meet Ella, published in the Daily Mail, James shared more details about his experience with depression. "I feel misunderstood; a complete failure," he explained. "I wouldn't wish the sense of worthlessness and desperation, the isolation and loneliness, on my worst enemy. I think I'm going crazy."

James wrote in Meet Ella, "Yet I know I am privileged; fortunate, too, to have a loving and close-knit family—Mum and Dad, my sisters Catherine and Pippa, their husbands William and James—but I push them all away." He continued, "I do not answer their phone calls. Emails remain ignored. Invitations to visit go unheeded. I hide behind a double-locked door, unreachable."

Kate Middleton returned to her duties as a senior member of the Royal Family in early 2025, after undergoing cancer treatment throughout 2024. Her brother, James Middleton, has opened up about his sister's diagnosis in a new interview, and revealed how the entire family supported the Princess of Wales during a difficult time.

Speaking with The London Times, James explained, "What I think is that, as a family, you learn to see and process and understand things." He continued, "For her and her family, it was a challenging time, and I know for us and our bigger family, it was a challenging time, but I think it's about communication and it's about offering support and help where you can."

The author of Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life shared the importance of helping people "on their terms," not on your own. "Being there for someone is such an important part," he explained.

Describing the support for his sister as "unconditional," James noted, "I'm not doing it for something in return. I'm doing it because I love you." He continued, "And that's the simplest way of really demonstrating love. You can do it in all these various fancy ways, but actually, you know, it is just generally being there."

In Sept. 2024, James gave a brief update on his sister Kate's health during an appearance on the TODAY show. "She's doing okay," he explained. "It's not for me to share on her behalf, you know, how everything's going. But she's getting all the right support and focus that she needs."

The author has also spoken about how proud he is of Kate and the public role she's taken on as a member of the Royal Family. "Catherine is very much on a public stage and I'm in awe of a lot of the things she does," James told Us Weekly in Oct. 2024. "I think the thing I'm most proud of is that she's still the same person that I grew up with."

Casually heading to a party hosted by Queen Elizabeth—or even getting the chance to meet her in person—wasn't something most people got to experience. But as the sister of the future queen, Princess Kate, James Middleton has been in the privileged position of being able to hobnob with the monarch on numerous occasions. Although he had met Queen Elizabeth before, the youngest Middleton sibling shared a hilarious encounter that left him "flustered" in his recent memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.

In the book, Middleton details his struggle with depression and how his late dog Ella, and his other animals, helped him through, but he also shares some royal stories in the memoir. One such incident happened on Princess Kate's birthday, when James and sister Pippa Middleton were running home from a trip to France to make the party on time.

"Pippa and I were late for Catherine’s birthday party, which in the normal run of things wouldn’t have mattered too much, but this time the Queen had kindly offered to host the teatime gathering at Sandringham," he wrote. "We’d been on a late-night flight to Gatwick from France and arrived bleary-eyed and sleepless at the airport, then I’d driven us both to Bucklebury so we could pack."

The brother/sister duo left their parents' Bucklebury, England home for Sandringham, and he said the last-minute packing was just slightly stressful knowing that they were going to be meeting with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

"I was fretting about the standard of my ironing—my shirt was rumpled and creased in all the wrong places—and I could only find one cufflink," Middleton wrote. "'Come on James, we’ve got to go now,' urged Pippa as I filled up Ella’s water bottle for the journey."

Luckily, the siblings arrived safely, although they had little time to spare. "We arrived breathless and flustered with barely time to run upstairs and change," he wrote. James was in such a rush he "bounded downstairs two at a time" and ran into the room, "almost running smack into Her Majesty."

“She and Prince Philip had got up to leave just as I blundered in with Pippa behind me," Middleton penned. He admitted that during his three-hour-plus drive up to Sandringham House in Norfolk, he had been practicing how to address the late Queen and Prince Philip, even "muttering: 'Your Majesty' for the Queen; 'Your Royal Highness' for the Duke of Edinburgh."

However, in his "blind panic," Middleton instead "blurted: 'I’m so sorry we’re late, Your Royal Majesty.'" James then wrote that he "heard a snort of laughter" (although the royal sibling kindly didn't note who it was) and "looked past the Queen to see everyone in the room stifling their giggles."

Her Majesty, however, took it all in stride. "'Oh, how lovely to see you, James,'" she replied with a smile. "I’d met her several times, notably at my sister’s wedding, and she was always welcoming," Middleton concluded. He even revealed that he used to do jigsaw puzzles with the late monarch, adding that she filled "a granny-sized void in my life."

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."

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."

When it comes to sisters, James Middleton seems to have hit the jackpot. The little brother of Kate and Pippa Middleton has enjoyed the support of his siblings throughout his lifetime, whether it was at school or during his serious battle with depression. In a new interview with Hello!, the James & Ella pet food founder said that he's been able to lean on his sisters as "mothering figures."

James, who welcomed the magazine to his farmhouse in Berkshire, England, shared that he lives just "five minutes up the road" from parents Carole and Michael Middleton. "We're a close family, and we’re fortunate in that we see lots of each other," he said. "My parents play a good role in getting us all together in that respect."

The Meet Ella author added that he was "brought up knowing that you can't take family for granted," adding, "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."

When it comes to not giving up, Kate and Pippa played an integral role in helping their brother through his depression. Following a period when he grappled with suicidal ideation, James's sisters attended therapy appointments with him and helped him with his mental health. "I jokingly say that I had three mothers growing up. I had my mother and my two sisters, who were mothering figures to me," he explained.

James, who shares son Inigo and six dogs with wife Alizée Thevenet, continued, "I was very fortunate. We had a fantastic childhood, and they included me in everything they did, and still do. I'm now in my late 30s and we still have that friendship."

Famous dog lover and breeder James—who admitted he's "on another scale of passionate" about the animal—has given his sisters dogs from his litters over the years, including Pippa's dog, Rafa, Kate's late cocker spaniel, Lupo, and the Wales family's current dog, Orla.

"Wherever they go, they bring the dogs with them, so I see lots of them, which is lovely," he told Hello!

The Middleton family is so into dogs that 18-month-old Inigo's very first word was "woof," according to James. In fact, the toddler "spent the first year of his life thinking he was a dog. He'd crawl around on all fours, which was entertaining to watch," the proud dad shared.

Queen Elizabeth was known as the biggest dog lover in the Royal Family, but Princess Kate's brother James Middleton might give the late monarch a run for her money. The Princess of Wales's little brother not only breeds dogs but owns his own pet food company, and last year, he published a memoir about how his beloved cocker spaniel Ella saved him from depression. In a new interview with Hello! magazine's The Daily Lowdown podcast, Middleton revealed that his little boy loves animals just as much as he does.

In fact, the Meet Ella author—who shares an 18-month old son, Inigo, with wife Alizée Thevenet—said his son's "first word was 'woof.'" His choice of word should come as no surprise given James and Alizée are pet parents to a whopping six dogs: Isla, Zulu, Inka, Luna, Mabel and Nala.

Apparently, Inigo considers himself as part of the pack. Middleton admitted that the toddler "spent the first year of his life thinking he was a dog. He'd crawl around on all fours, which was entertaining to watch."

The James & Ella pet food founder continued, "But he loves dogs, particularly Isla—he puts his arm around her neck and squeezes. He loves chatting to the animals. He shouts at the chickens and knows what noise a cow makes. He shares many of my loves, which are tractors, sheep and dogs."

The Prince and Princess of Wales have benefitted from James's knowledge of canines, as their first dog, Lupo—who died in 2020—was bred by Middleton as well as their current dog, Orla.

In his memoir, Middleton wrote that his late dog Ella was responsible for saving him from a suicide attempt. After climbing through the skylight onto the roof of his London apartment building, James—who was suffering from deep depression—considered jumping, but looked down and saw Ella staring at him. "I haul myself back from the brink, slowly climb down the ladder and stroke Ella's silky head," he wrote. "She is the reason I do not take that fatal leap. She is Ella, the dog who saved my life."

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

Just in time for the holidays, Kate Middleton's brother, James Middleton, has given us all a gift by recreating an iconic scene from a Christmas movie romance. Specifically, Middleton starred in a version of Love Actually's iconic cue card scene alongside the real-life love of his life—well, one of them anyway. Middleton's costar in the clip isn't his wife, Alizee Thevenet, but another love of his life: his beloved golden retriever, Isla.

Even if you've never seen Love Actually, chances are you're still familiar with the film's famous cue card scene. The scene, in which Andrew Lincoln's character, Mark, uses a series of cue cards to silently profess his love to Keira Knightley's character, Juliet, who happens to be his best friend's new wife (while he's on her doorstep and her husband/his best friend is mere feet away in the living room, no less), has been heavily debated in the years since the film's original release in 2003, but whether you love or hate it, it's hard to deny the moment's iconic status in pop culture.

Middleton and Isla recreated the memorable scene as part of a campaign for the nonprofit Dogs Trust and, instead of a declaration of secret love, Middleton's message in the video brings attention to the issue of pet abandonment.

"With any luck, by next year, there will be fewer dogs in shelters," one of the cards reads, with others adding, "But for now let me say, with hope and an agenda, because at Christmas you spread the word, dogs are for life—not just for Christmas."

And, while Lincoln's Love Actually character sticks to text for his cue card confession, Middleton's take on the scene including a card with pictures.

"There are plenty looking for a home including these ones," one card read before Middleton revealed another that included pictures and names of six adorable dogs up for adoption at the charity.

Dogs Trust shared the video on Instagram, along with a caption announcing that Middleton, a "longtime supporter" of the charity had officially become an ambassador for the nonprofit.

“Dogs love us unconditionally and in turn, it’s our responsibility to love & care for them back," a quote in the caption read. "When that isn’t possible, it’s charities like Dogs Trust who step in, and right now they need our support more than ever.”

In the comment section of the post, the official account for Middleton's dog food company James & Ella wrote, "Did you know? Love Actually is 21 years old now, and the phrase 'A dog is for life, not just for Christmas' is 45 years old! It still rings true today."

Middleton is a famous dog lover and outspoken pet advocate who regularly includes his six dogs in family pictures and videos he shares on social media. In addition to Isla, Middleton's fur-family includes four cocker spaniels—Zulu, Inka, Luna, and Nala—and one other golden retriever, Mabel.

He shared the story of his beloved dog Ella, who passed away in January 2023, in his memoir Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, which was released this fall.

Princess Kate's brother is opening up about the Middleton family's competitive game nights and how Prince William would find a way to avoid participating.

During a recent interview with Emily Dean on the Walking The Dog podcast, James Middleton said the future King of England would "make excuses" to get out of game nights when he first started dating Kate Middleton, the Daily Mail reports.

According to James, who was 13 when his sister started dating the Prince of Wales, Prince William would "come over for dinners," which inevitably led to a card game.

"It was after family dinner, we would be sat there and the cards would come out, and [Prince William] perhaps see if Ella needed a walk or make an excuse to get down from the table," James said, referring to his brother-in-law's reasons for excusing himself from the family game.

"Racing demon is probably the most fast-paced, competitive one that we all play together," he continued.

For the uninitiated, "racing demon" is a competitive form of the popular card games Patience or Solitaire, and apparently the Prince of Wales is not a fan.

In his new book, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, James described how his four-legged BFF gave Prince William an excuse to leave when a friendly card game turned heated.

"Ella gives [William] a good excuse to escape the fiercely competitive nature of the Middleton family, which emerges every time we play our favourite fast-paced card game, racing demon," he wrote.

"William flinches at our ruthless determination to win at all costs. He's delighted to be the first out, and when no longer compelled to take part, he slinks off to cuddle Ella," James continued, adding that he believed Prince William would "prefer to absent himself from the game entirely."

According to James, Prince William would often ask if Ella needed a walk "before we even started dealing cards."

In his tell-all memoir, which detailed how his dog Ella saved his life when he was experiencing severe depression and suicidal ideation, James also credited Prince William and Princess Kate for better understanding his mental health struggles as a result of their volunteer and advocacy work.

"I feel misunderstood; a complete failure. I wouldn’t wish the sense of worthlessness and desperation, the isolation and loneliness, on my worst enemy. I think I’m going crazy," James wrote.

"I am grateful to Catherine and William, whose work in the field of mental health has given them valuable knowledge and ­understanding," he continued. "My parents rely on them, and Pippa, to try to breach the impenetrable wall of my silence. Sometimes they do break through. My sisters gently cajole me out of the flat now and again."

James Middleton is opening up about the pride he has in his sister, Princess Kate.

In a recent interview with Us Weekly, Middleton — who is busy promoting his new book Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life — talked candidly about the pressures his sister faces as the Princess of Wales and how taken aback he is by her grace under pressure.

“Catherine is very much on a public stage and I’m in awe of a lot of the things she does,” Middleton told the publication for its latest issue. “I think the thing I’m most proud of is that she’s still the same person that I grew up with.”

Princess Kate's ability to remain down-to-earth amid so much social pressure is commendable, especially in the wake of her public cancer diagnosis and treatment. According to Middleton, his sisters Kate and Pippa Middleton Matthews were always a source of guidance and support during their shared childhood.

“Growing up surrounded by three strong, capable women felt like having three mothers, and I would rely on Catherine and Pippa for advice,” the proud brother writes in his memoire Meet Ella. "They never dismissed me as their little squirt of a brother who wasn’t worthy of their attention. On the contrary, they let me join in their games and included me in their friendships — they still do to this day.”

In a recent episode of Bryony Gordon's podcast, "The Life of Bryony," James revealed how his siblings also impacted his mental health journey, especially during some of his lowest points when, according to his memoire, he experienced suicidal ideation.

"For much of the early part of my depression before I got help, I was pushing them away," James explained, according to Express. "And I think sometimes the closer someone is to you, the harder it can be for them to help.

"Once I'd sort of started the process, I understood everything a little bit more," he continued at the time. "And it was, you know, my therapist suggested getting my family involved and I wasn't quite ready to discuss with my parents at that point, but it was with my sisters who I think, you know, we're close siblings."

Middleton then detailed his reaction to his sister, Princess Kate, after she confronted him about his debilitation depression.

"That was just so powerful for me in that step of recovery because they weren't being judgmental, they were really trying to help, and they could have, postponed it, delayed it, they both had their own busy lives and, they were with their grown-up brother who was struggling and it was a very moving moment that for me," he said at the time.

In his book, Middleton details how Prince William and Princess Kate's past mental health advocacy helped them to better understand what he was going through.

"I am grateful to Catherine and William, whose work in the field of mental health has given them valuable knowledge and ­understanding," Middleton writes. "My parents rely on them, and Pippa, to try to breach the impenetrable wall of my silence."

Princess Kate's brother, James Middleton, has just released his memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life. In the book, James talks about how his sisters, Kate and Pippa Middleton, helped him when he realized he had depression. He also discussed meeting Queen Elizabeth and what it was like spending Christmas with the Royal Family.

In one notable extract, James revealed how Prince William and Princess Kate managed to avoid the paparazzi to attend his wedding to Alizee Thevenet. James and Thevenet tied the knot in the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France on September 11, 2021.

"To our huge surprise and delight, however, they [the Prince and Princess of Wales] arrive on Friday evening, earlier than planned, to join in the pre-wedding meal," James wrote in Meet Ella (via Hello! magazine).

He continued, "We want them to be able to relax without fear of intrusion, and it is challenging because the restaurant where we eat is quite exposed. But—thanks in part to our low-key, last-minute plans—no paparazzi find us."

James and Thevenet's wedding took place at the town hall in Bormes-les-Mimosas, and was followed by a reception at Café Léoube on the beach. William and Kate were in attendance alongside their three children—Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.

Of the special day, James told Hello! magazine, "We couldn't be happier!"

He continued, "It was wonderful to finally celebrate with family and friends despite the challenges of a global pandemic, but we were relaxed and knew the day would eventually come."

In another extract from his book published by the Daily Mail, James also discussed how he learnt that Kate was engaged to Prince William.

Recalling a trip to a local pub near to his parents' home in Bucklebury, James wrote, "We sit in a corner, chattering quietly. Catherine whispers the news and says it will become public in the next day or so. Pippa and I want to be visibly excited, but we have to tamp down our emotions so no one suspects a thing,"

Needing to keep the exciting news private, the three siblings gave one another "a quiet acknowledgement that we’ll always be there for each other, look out for one another, support each other. No matter how crazy things get," James wrote.

James Middleton, Princess Kate's brother, has released his first book, in which he discusses everything from his interactions with Queen Elizabeth to his beloved dogs. Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life also frankly talks about James' experiences with depression, and how his sisters, Kate and Pippa Middleton, helped him.

During the September 30 episode of Bryony Gordon's podcast, "The Life of Bryony," James revealed how his siblings impacted his mental health journey.

"For much of the early part of my depression before I got help, I was pushing them away," James explained (via the Express). "And I think sometimes the closer someone is to you, the harder it can be for them to help."

He continued, "Once I'd sort of started the process, I understood everything a little bit more. And it was, you know, my therapist suggested getting my family involved and I wasn't quite ready to discuss with my parents at that point, but it was with my sisters who I think, you know, we're close siblings."

James then explained how he "burst into tears" when finally talking to Kate and Pippa about his depression, revealing that he felt "so much love" from them.

The Meet Ella author explained, "That was just so powerful for me in that step of recovery because they weren't being judgmental, they were really trying to help, and they could have, postponed it, delayed it, they both had their own busy lives and, they were with their grown-up brother who was struggling and it was a very moving moment that for me."

The important conversation between the three siblings was life-changing for James for many reasons.

"I can't really remember what we spoke about, but I remember the emotion and the feeling I had and the questions that they were asking, they were asking questions to help them understand," he said on the podcast.

"That was wonderful to hear, rather than just being told," James noted of his sisters' reactions. "And it was an understanding and learning journey for me, too."

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

Kate Middleton gave the world a peek into her ongoing recovery from cancer in a personal video on Sept. 9, sharing that she'd completed chemotherapy treatment. Amid the ongoing curiosity surrounding his sister's cancer battle, brother James Middleton has issued a rare comment regarding the royal's health.

“She’s doing okay," he told the TODAY show on Sept. 26 during an interview promoting his new book, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.

“It’s not for me to share on her behalf, you know, how everything’s going," the royal sibling continued. "But she’s getting all the right support and focus that she needs."

James—who credits his sisters Kate and Pippa with helping him through clinical depression—said that Princess Kate's road to recovery was ongoing, stating, "like anything, it takes time to process.”

Speaking of the touching Instagram post he shared after the princess revealed her diagnosis, James—who penned that the Middletons had "climbed many mountains together" and would also "climb this one with" Kate—said the sentiment felt appropriate for the outdoorsy family.

“I like the metaphor of climbing a mountain," he told TODAY. "It’s something that we’ve done as a family all of our lives. And you have to respect a mountain.”

As for his battle with depression, the James & Ella dog food founder said his famous sister and her husband, Prince William, were instrumental in his recovery.

“Catherine and William had both been involved in mental health charities and works of which I got help from. They were a fantastic bridge for the family, for me to be able to translate how I was feeling,” he shared in the interview.

As for the Princess of Wales's return to work, she's given royal fans some glimmers of what that might look like, with plans for her annual Christmas concert now in the works.

On Sept. 26, the Princess of Wales also shared some details behind a secret visit she made to the ballet. In a post on the prince and princess's Instagram Story, she wrote, "Congratulations and thank you to @ENBallet and @Sadlers_Wells for the wonderfully powerful, moving and inspiring performance of Akram Khan’s Giselle. Creativity at its best!"

This story discusses depression and suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

The Princess of Wales's brother, James Middleton, has revealed plenty of candid details about his family life and how they helped him battle depression in his new memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life. But in a new interview with Hello! magazine, the royal sibling revealed his sisters Kate and Pippa Middleton had an "easier" time in family therapy than their parents.

James, whose book was released on Thursday, Sept. 26, told the media outlet that the Middleton family attended therapy sessions to get a better idea of what he was going through.

"It gives somebody the opportunity to ask questions that I don't necessarily know the answer to, or might be too emotional to give the answer to, or not have the confidence to say it," he shared, adding, "It's like having a translator."

The James & Ella dog food founder credits his late dog, Ella, with stopping him from a suicide attempt during the height of his depression. He told Hello! that his parents initially struggled with blaming themselves for his condition.

"It was easier for my sisters, because initially my parents saw it as a challenge for them—where had they gone wrong?" James told the magazine.

He went on to share, "that's why it was so important to have somebody else in the room to explain: 'No, this isn't you that's done this to your son. This is a combination of multiple things. It stems back to childhood but there's not a single trigger point.'"

James credited sisters Kate and Pippa for being able to bridge the gap between James and his parents.

"Once I started to understand a bit myself, and then for my sisters to understand it, who could then also speak to my parents…Now, it's something that can be discussed at the dinner table," the entrepreneur shared.

In his book, James wrote of how he knew he was "privileged" and had "a loving and close-knit family." However, his depressive feelings didn't allow James to turn to the princess and the rest of his family at first.

"I do not answer their phone calls. Emails remain ignored. Invitations to visit go unheeded. I hide behind a double-locked door, unreachable," he wrote, adding, "My sisters gently cajole me out of the flat now and again."

However, James penned that once he opened up about his depression, the Prince and Princess of Wales—who have long worked with mental health charities— brought "valuable knowledge and understanding" of his depression.

James—who is married to Alizée Thevenet and welcomed a baby boy, Inigo, with his wife in 2023—said therapy has allowed the Middletons to discuss mental health more freely.

"It's helped us as a family— not just me individually, but as a unit—to be more open," he said.

Kate Middleton may be a member of the British Royal Family, but she remains extremely close with her own clan. Case in point: the Princess of Wales shares her children's old clothes with brother James Middleton's baby son, Inigo.

In an interview with Hello! magazine, James opened up about the adorable way both of his sisters—Princess Kate and Pippa Middleton—have provided him with plenty of baby clothes for his first child. Princess Kate shares three children with her husband Prince William—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Meanwhile, Pippa Middleton is raising three kids—Arthur, Grace, and Rose—with husband James Matthews.

"They are milestones, because [my sisters] remember when their child was wearing something, and how old they were—it takes them back," James told the outlet. "It's been a lovely thing for them."

James welcomed his first child, Inigo, with wife Alizée in late 2023. The couple remain grateful that Inigo is growing up with a big extended family.

"He's fortunate to have older cousins who can now pick him up and show him things, and as he grows up, they'll be able to look out for him," James told the outlet. "There's definitely an element of curiosity [about] a baby that they have."

The author of Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life has also enjoyed watching his two sisters expand their families. "It's been wonderful, seeing them become mothers and being so dedicated and strong," he told the publication. "I'm in awe of that."

He continued, "I've been fortunate to see how my sisters have done it, and take tips along the way—some I take on board, and others I'm like: 'Hmm.'"

To promote his book, James with People about his love of dogs and the therapeutic effect they can have. "An ambition [of mine] is to get dogs to be on a prescription from doctors, because I think there is an undeniable amount of things that dogs can do for us," he explained.

James continued, "We have a lot to learn from dogs, which is that they live every day as today. They're not thinking about yesterday. They’re not annoyed about yesterday or worrying about the future. They're living in the moment. If we all focus on that a little bit more then I think we will be happier."

This story discusses depression and suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

Princess Kate's brother James Middleton is opening up about his past mental health struggles, and crediting his former dog, Ella, with saving his life.

In an excerpt of his new book Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, recently published in the Daily Mail, Middleton discussed a period in his life when he suffered from a deep depression and, at one point, experienced suicidal ideation. At what was arguably one of his lowest moments, he says Ella was there and ended up being the reason he decided to hang on and continue living.

"I glance down the ladder again. Ella has not moved. Her brown eyes are still staring intently at me, soulful and pleading, and as my gaze locks on hers again, my brain quiets. In that instant, I know I will not jump," Kate Middleton's brother writes. "What would happen to Ella if I died? How long would she wait alone in the flat for someone to find her?

"I have loved her with every bit of my being since she was a tiny, sightless newborn pup. She has been my companion, my hope, my support through my darkest days. She has loved me unconditionally, faithfully," h continues in the book. "At night, when sleep eludes me, she is there on the bed beside me, willing me through the bleak pre-dawn hours. Even when I have not felt the labour of living is worth the effort, I take her for walks and feed her. She gives me purpose, a reason to be. How can I contemplate leaving her now? What would she do without me?"

Middleton went on to say that in that moment, thanks to his dog's endless devotion, "reality intruded" and he decided not to end his life.

"I haul myself back from the brink, slowly climb down the ladder and stroke Ella's silky head," he continues in the excerpt. "She is the reason I do not take that fatal leap. She is Ella, the dog who saved my life."

Middleton has been incredibly candid about his past mental health issues, describing that period of his life as a time when he felt "misunderstood; a complete failure."

"I wouldn’t wish the sense of worthlessness and desperation, the isolation and loneliness, on my worst enemy. I think I’m going crazy," he continued.

In addition to praising his pup for saving his life, Middleton also credited his sister, Kate Middleton, and his brother-in-law, Prince William, for understanding what he was going through—a byproduct, Middleton writes, of their mental health advocacy.

"I am grateful to Catherine and William, whose work in the field of mental health has given them valuable knowledge and ­understanding," Middleton writes. "My parents rely on them, and Pippa, to try to breach the impenetrable wall of my silence. Sometimes they do break through. My sisters gently cajole me out of the flat now and again."

While promoting his book, Middleton is also opening up about a long-term goal of his—to make therapy dogs more accessible via an actual prescription from health care providers.

"An ambition [of mine] is to get dogs to be on a prescription from doctors, because I think there is an undeniable amount of things that dogs can do for us," the author told People in an exclusive interview. "We have a lot to learn from dogs, which is that they live every day as today. They're not thinking about yesterday. They’re not annoyed about yesterday or worrying about the future. They're living in the moment. If we all focus on that a little bit more then I think we will be happier.”

This story discusses depression and suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

Kate Middleton's brother, James Middleton, is sharing his inspiring story in his upcoming memoir, "Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life," and in a new interview with People, the royal sibling said his battle with depression has changed the way his famous family looks at mental health.

James—who credits his late dog Ella with stopping him from a suicide attempt—chronicles how the cocker spaniel helped pull him from the depths of depression, but also how his parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and sisters Kate and Pippa supported him through his darkest times.

“We speak more openly now about our own mental health as a family. That is a great thing,” he told People.

“The embrace of a hug from a family member means more than words," James added, explaining that while the Middletons were always "a close family," his mental health struggles brought the family even closer.

"I know they're proud of me for telling my story," he said.

In an excerpt from Meet Ella published in The Daily Mail, James wrote that he "was grateful" to the Prince and Princess of Wales, "whose work in the field of mental health gave them valuable knowledge and understanding" into his bout with depression.

James, who shares an 11-month-old son, Inigo, with wife Alizee Thevenet, told People that he hopes his story will inspire his son "to learn about his own mental health" at an early age so Inigo "doesn't have to go through some of the very painful moments" his father did.

"It took me on a journey," James said of writing the book, which releases Sept. 24.

As for his big sister's battle with cancer, he tells People, "There are huge numbers of people who go through [cancer]. It doesn't matter who you are, what your upbringing is. Life throws you obstacles."

However, he noted that the Middletons are always by the Princess of Wales's side. "We are a close family. It is always important to have support around you and not do things alone. Sharing it does help bring people together."

"My love and support for my family is more than just an Instagram post," he concluded.

Prince William and Princess Kate recently shared a personal Instagram video, which featured footage of their children—Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince Louis—and Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton. Several video clips showed the Prince and Princess of Wales' children playing card games with their grandparents around a kitchen table. And according to Kate's brother, James Middleton, Prince William loathes playing games with the Middleton clan.

An excerpt from James' new memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, was published by the Daily Mail, and revealed how William really feels about competitive card games. In the book, James explained that the Prince of Wales enjoyed taking spaniel Ella for long walks if it meant he could skip taking part in "competitive" family activities.

"I know, too, that Ella gave him a good excuse to escape the fiercely competitive nature of the Middleton family, which emerged every time we played our favourite fast-paced card game, Racing Demon," James wrote.

He continued, "William would flinch at our ruthless determination to win at all costs. He’d be delighted to be the first out, and when no longer compelled to take part, he’d slink off to cuddle Ella. Better still, he’d absent himself from the game entirely."

Princess Kate's brother recalled, "'James, does Ella need a walk?' he’d ask before we’d even started dealing the cards. My sisters and I would exchange a knowing glance: William, for all the competitive rigour of his military training, was happy to be a loser at cards."

While William obviously wasn't a fan of any games involving fierce competition, the Prince of Wales was extremely happy to spend time with James' dog Ella.

"It helped of course that William was so genuinely fond of Ella," James wrote in his memoir. "When he first encountered her as a tiny puppy at Bucklebury, he was smitten. He’d had a black Labrador, Widgeon, as a boy, and when Widgeon died, he left an empty space. I felt William was pining for a dog when Ella was around."

Kate Middleton's brother, James Middleton, shares plenty of touching stories about his famous family in his upcoming memoir, "Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life," but among the heartwarming tales is the hilarious account of how his sister and Prince William met their future sister-in-law.

In an excerpt from the book shared by The Daily Mail on Sept. 15, James shared the accidental way his then-girlfriend, Alizée Thevenet, met the Wales family while wearing nothing but his shirt.

The royal sibling explained that he'd brought Thevenet to a wedding near his parents' house in Bucklebury, England during the summer of 2018, when the couple made an "on impulse" decision to sleep at the Middleton family home.

"We let ourselves in and tiptoe around in the dark, not wanting to wake anyone, then catch a few hours' sleep before I'm woken at 7:30 a.m. by giggling at the ­bedroom door," James wrote.

The source of the laughs? None other than Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

James explained he "hadn't realized" the kids—along with their then-baby brother, Prince Louis, and parents the Prince and Princess of Wales— were "staying for the weekend."

Since his girlfriend was "still sound asleep," James guided the kids to the kitchen to join their parents, who were "drinking their early morning tea." But while James made a cup to take upstairs to Thevenet, she intercepted him—and got quite the surprise.

"She has just got out of bed, her hair still tousled, and she is wearing one of my shirts. In situations like this, Alizée is ­wonderfully French. She does not panic or rush upstairs to get dressed," the author penned.

And while most people would probably want to crawl into a hole meeting their boyfriend's family (let alone the Royal Family) in such an ensemble, Thevenet took the moment in stride.

In his book, James wrote that his girlfriend greeted "everyone warmly as if it's not remotely unusual to be meeting her boyfriend's sister and brother-in-law for the first time wearing only an oversized man's shirt."

As for Princess Charlotte and Prince George, they launched into "asking all kinds of cheeky questions at 100 miles per hour" such as "Who is this lady?" and "Is she your girlfriend?"

"So I tell Charlotte and George, yes, she is my girlfriend and introduce her to them, then we are all talking and laughing as if she has been part of the family for years," James wrote, adding his parents came home later in the day and they all went for a walk.

"When we all hug goodbye I get a special squeeze from Catherine, who whispers in my ear, 'She's just great,'" James shared.

Along with the early days of his relationship, James also wrote about the moment when he found out his sister would marry the future king in Meet Ella, along with how the couple helped him through his depression.

Awkward first meetings aside, Thevenet would go on to marry James Middleton in 2021, surrounded by his "cheeky" niece and nephews and the rest of his family.

"All my stars have aligned: Alizee is perfect for me and my family adores her," James penned.

While Prince William and Kate Middleton's 2010 engagement press conference—and the soon-to-be royal bride's iconic blue wrap dress—made headlines around the world, it turns out her brother, James Middleton, found out the news in quite a different fashion.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life shared in The Daily Mail on Sept. 14, James revealed the sweet story of how his big sister told him her happy secret.

The royal sibling wrote of the "terrific buzz throughout the country" that Kate and William were "about to get engaged" in November 2010 and how one day he headed to a "local pub" with Kate and their sister, Pippa, near their parents' home in Bucklebury, England.

"We sit in a corner, chattering quietly. Catherine whispers the news and says it will become public in the next day or so. Pippa and I want to be visibly excited, but we have to tamp down our emotions so no one suspects a thing," he penned.

Although the siblings couldn't properly celebrate the news in public, James noted that they made "a quiet acknowledgement that we’ll always be there for each other, look out for one another, support each other. No matter how crazy things get."

On Nov. 16, the soon-to-be princess called her little brother to tell him the announcement would be made—and James shared how he headed to walk his dog, Ella, "in Battersea Park savouring the secret knowledge and feeling a thrill of happiness for them."

The proud sibling—who later thought Kate and William "were joking" when they asked him to do a reading at their wedding—also shared how he sweetly picked up a copy of The Evening Standard with the couple's photo on it.

"There on the front page was a picture of Catherine in her blue dress," James wrote. "I tucked a copy under my arm and walked home with a sense that it was all quite surreal."

James—who wrote that the family had "grown very fond of" William over the years—shared that the prince felt like an "older brother," pointing out how "he and Catherine are so clearly a good fit, just right for each other."

"I thought how lucky William was to be marrying my capable, down-to-earth big sister, and I felt absolutely reassured that they were in love," he penned.

However, even if he was going to be the future king, there was a point when Prince William needed to win James over.

When he first met Kate's boyfriend, James wrote of "putting him through his paces" and wondering, "Did he deserve my sister? He had to earn my trust."

Luckily, the Prince of Wales became a part of the family, with James sharing that William brought out the best sides of his sister. "It was beautiful to see how he brought out her confidence. She’d blossomed. I knew he’d look after her, and he does to this day."

Princess Kate's brother James Middleton is opening up about the Prince and Princess of Wales' royal wedding and the nerve-wracking request he says he couldn't believe they made.

In an excerpt of his upcoming book Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, recently published in the Daily Mail, Middleton recalled not only his battle with depression that led to suicidal ideation and his time with the former Queen and the "granny-sized void" she filled in his life—he also revealed how surprised he was when Prince William and Princess Kate asked him to read a passage from the Bible during their 2011 wedding at Westminster Abbey.

"The wedding was barely eight weeks away when Catherine and William, on the phone together and ­bubbling with excitement, asked me brightly if I might be up to doing a reading on their big day at Westminster Abbey," Middleton writes.

"A reading? I thought they were joking. My mind raced back to school and my stumbling, ­incoherent efforts to read in front of the class. What were they ­thinking? Being dyslexic, reading is my least favorite occupation," he continued. "‘Seriously?’ I asked. ‘Seriously,’ they chorused. Oh no! I thought."

While apprehensive and still in disbelief, Middleton writes that he agreed to do the reading, hiding his true feelings from his sister and her soon-to-be husband.

"‘No problem at all!’ I fibbed breezily. If that was what my sister and William wanted, then of course I’d do my best not to let them down," he explains. "Then they added: ‘This will be the only Bible reading in the service,’ and I didn’t know whether to be honored or appalled."

To prepare for his big moment (when all eyes were fixated on the royal family), Middleton writes that he carried the reading "with me everywhere, taking it out of my pocket to practice the lines." He went on to explain that he "tripped and stumbled, transposing syllables, getting my ps and bs—my nemesis—in a twist."

In addition to practicing in front of others and in venues that would help Middleton get used to the acoustics of Westminster, Middleton says he also practiced the reading out loud to his dog, Ella, who he credits with saving his life in the book.

"Back at the flat, I practiced again and again, declaiming from my now crumpled sheet of phonetic text. Ella sat patiently on a chair in front of me. I’d occasionally put her name into the reading so her ears would prick up," he writes. "I recorded myself doing the reading, and on long walks with Ella I’d listen to these recitals. Sometimes I’d say the words out loud as we walked."

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived, which Middleton details including the moment he delivered the reading to the happy couple, the wedding attendees and the world.

"I walked up steadily to the lectern and stood, poised to begin. But where was my scruffy piece of paper? I couldn’t see it. Had it been thrown away? Panic almost overwhelmed me," he writes, before adding that once he "turned the page of the Bible" in front of him he found the paper, discretely hidden.

"Relief washed over me," he continues. "I waited until the great Abbey fell silent. Ten, perhaps even 15 seconds. Then I counted slowly to four and all that could possibly go wrong flooded into my mind. Were my flies undone? Would I have a coughing fit? Would my voice squeak or wobble?

"I didn’t cast a glance at Catherine and William, not wanting to exchange smiles with them in case I erupted into nervous giggles," he adds. "I wanted to do them both proud."

Princess Kate's brother, James Middleton, is opening up about his special relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth and the void she used to fill in his life.

In an excerpt of his upcoming book Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, recently published in the Daily Mail, Middleton opened up not only about his mental health and experience with suicidal ideation (that he credits his dog, Ella, with saving his life) but his special relationship with the former Queen of England.

"At Sandringham Christmases, we joined in the family gathering. Beatrice and Eugenie, whom I knew from school, would be there and we’d all go to church in the morning," Middleton writes.

"One year the Queen and I sat down to do a jigsaw puzzle. It was the sort of activity I’d have enjoyed with my own grandparents, all four of whom had died in the space of three years when I was a teenager," he continued. "So in a way, I felt the Queen was filling a granny-sized void in my life."

"And there we were, engaged in this everyday pleasure, which was elevated to the extraordinary by the company I was in," Middleton adds. "It still feels surreal, the fact that I was there with the Queen: I look back on it with amazement."

In addition to the friendly game, Middleton went on to say that the Queen talked to him "about beekeeping," adding that he knew the Queen took a particular liking to the process.

"The Queen talked to me about beekeeping and I knew she appreciated the effort it takes for a colony of bees to produce enough honey for a jar," he explained.

"I’ve been a passionate advocate of these ­ingenious, industrious little creatures since I became a beekeeper nearly a decade ago, having fallen for them as a child. I now have almost half a million bees in eight hives in a meadow at Bucklebury, and I’m in awe of them."

In fact, according to Middleton, he even gifted the late monarch with a jar of honey, "a gift from a queen to the Queen," he writes, that "seemed fitting."

"There were presents, too, modest but wrapped with care. Mine from Her Majesty was a pair of socks; I gave her a card with a photo of Ella on it and a few jars of my own honey, which I brought down to breakfast on Christmas morning," he adds.

On Monday, Princess Kate announced she's completed her chemotherapy cancer treatment in an emotional Instagram video.

"The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family," she wrote in the caption. "Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown." The intimate post included rare personal footage of Princess Kate and Prince William's children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—having fun as a family.

Kate Middleton's brother, James Middleton, reacted to the beautiful Instagram post, commenting, "I couldn't be more proud" (via The Sun). James' sweet message echoes the feelings of royal fans all over the world, and shows just how close members of the Middleton family are.

Kate's caption continued, "The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything."

Princess Kate also shared her plan to return to official royal duties in the coming months, while reflecting on the difficult year she's endured. "This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted," she wrote. "Of simply loving and being loved."

Looking ahead to the future, the Princess of Wales noted, "Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes."

According to a recent report in The Sunday Times, Kate may make an appearance at the Remembrance Sunday Service, which will take place in London on November 10. The report also suggested that the Princess of Wales may be planning to attend the "Together at Christmas" concert at Westminster Abbey, which takes place annually during the festive season.

For now, it's clear that Kate has the full support of her extended family, which is incredibly heartwarming.

Amidst Princess Kate’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith, appearing (read: incessantly running his mouth) on Celebrity Big Brother U.K.—juxtaposed, simultaneously, with Kate and the royal family’s near radio silence on her health condition—news has broken that Kate’s younger brother, James Middleton, is releasing a “tender” and “sometimes devastating” memoir later this year.

But it’s not what you think. The fiercely private Middleton family, comprised of parents Carole and Michael and siblings Kate, Pippa, and James, have long protected the Princess of Wales’ privacy, including now as she recovers from surgery in January. James’ memoir will be less about him and more about his relationship with his beloved late dog, Ella, who died in January 2023. The book is called Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, and it’s due in September. Ella was James’ first dog—they met when James was 20 years old—and, according to The Mirror, will detail “how she guided him through some of the toughest periods of his life as he battled depression, and happier times, such as meeting his future wife, Alizee.” (James and Alizee welcomed their first child, son Inigo, last fall.)

“Ella and James formed an unbreakable bond and went everywhere together, from Scottish mountainsides to royal weddings,” James’ publisher Octopus wrote. “In a romantic gesture, Ella helped James introduce himself to his future wife, Alizee, a fellow dog lover. But James and Ella’s connection runs much deeper than that. Threaded through this life-affirming story of one man’s love for his dog is an honest account of James’ battle with clinical depression. During his most difficult times, Ella was the most devoted of friends who loved James unconditionally, read his moods, and knew just when and how to intervene to help him. Ella was even the reason that James went to therapy.”

Of Ella, James said “Ella was so much more than just a dog—she was part of me, a true companion, my closest confidante, and very often my therapist. My life would not have been the same without her and I wanted to commemorate her and the way that she helped me reconnect with the world at a time when I felt lost.”

He added, “I know that many other people will have had their own Ellas, or are perhaps in need of one right now, so I hope that this book will also help us to talk more openly about our mental health, our need for connection, and the way in which the animals that we think we are taking care of are always looking after us in return.”

Meet Ella is due out on September 26. 

James Middleton, the younger brother of the Princess of Wales, and his wife, Alizee, are first-time parents, welcoming son Inigo a few weeks ago—and Inigo’s birth follows an interesting trend, both for this generation of the Middleton family and the royal family: a boy is always born first.

The trend rings true for Kate, who gave birth to Prince George first; Pippa Middleton Matthews, who gave birth to son Arthur before welcoming two girls; and now James. In the royal family, William isn’t the only one to have a son first: Queen Elizabeth did the same (King Charles), as did Charles himself (William) and Princess Anne (who welcomed son Peter Phillips before daughter Zara), and Prince Harry continued the trend (Prince Archie). Of course, there are exceptions to the rule (Prince Edward had a daughter first, and Prince Andrew had two girls), but, for the most part, the boy first trend holds strong.

After announcing Alizee was pregnant in July, James confirmed Inigo’s birth yesterday: “He has been in our lives for just a few weeks but they have been the most special of my life getting to know our beautiful baby boy,” he wrote in a post to Instagram. “No matter how prepared I thought I was…I was not prepared for the overwhelming emotion of meeting Inigo for the first time and the love for my darling Alizee as we became three,” adding “We have settled into our new life as parents.”

People reports that the name Inigo is of Spanish/Basque origin and means “fiery.” In terms of pop culture, it’s probably most remembered as a part of the 1987 film The Princess Bride, where the character Inigo Montoya (played by Mandy Patinkin) famously delivered the line “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” (On a lighter note, 1987 is not only the year The Princess Bride was released, but also the year of James’ birth.)

One could take a look at Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—the three children of the Prince and Princess of Wales—and, at bare minimum, ascertain their privilege. But their uncle James Middleton—Kate’s younger brother—is calling them “lucky,” and it’s for a reason you may not expect.

Yes, the Wales children are royalty, will never want for anything, and are growing up around palaces and castles. But that’s not why Middleton considers them lucky—it’s because they’ve always had a dog in their home, he says in a new interview with OK. Middleton, who is a devout dog lover, says he is “really pleased” that his nephews and niece are growing up with a pet. William and Kate’s first family dog, Lupo, was a puppy from Middleton’s beloved dog Ella’s litter, and after Lupo died, the Wales family’s current dog, Orla, was also a gift from Middleton. 

“I’m really pleased that they are able to enjoy and have the benefit of a dog in their lives,” he says. “I see them being lucky that they have a dog in their life.”

Middleton—who royal aficionados probably can’t imagine not having a dog—recalls not having a pup until he was a teenager, and that he would “write letters to my parents to try to convince them to let me have one,” he says. Eventually, parents Michael and Carole relented, and they got a golden retriever named Tilly. 

“I found a lot of solace in my dog, Tilly, particularly when I was a young teenager,” Middleton says. “She knew all of my secrets at the time—who I fancied and all of those little tricky parts that come with growing up that I never told anybody.”

Middleton is perhaps most known for his close bond with dog Ella, who died in January. Middleton wrote an essay in The Sunday Times where he revealed that “all the family” came to Ella’s burial, and he wrote “I can’t speak for them, but I believe she influenced their lives, too. Lupo, Catherine and William’s dog, was one of Ella’s puppies. My sister Pippa and her husband have a pup from Ella, as do other family members.” In fact, when Middleton attended King Charles’ Coronation earlier this month, he brought along a memento of Ella in the form of her image on a pin. “Ella still comes with me everywhere I go…even to the coronation,” he wrote on Instagram.

Princess Kate's brother James Middleton has been very open about his mental health over the years, and he continues to share his experience to this day in order to help others like him.

In a new interview with OK!, the entrepreneur revealed just how much his dogs helped him while he was struggling with depression.

"How I see them [dogs] is that they were what anyone suffering from mental health needs," Middleton explaind.

"I think first and foremost professional help and to speak to people is the first port of call, but the roles that my dogs played was fundamental in my recovery and my rehabilitation."

He went on, "My dog Ella [who passed away earlier this year] was my reason to get up in the morning, my reason to get dressed and go outside and go for a walk—even if it was pouring with rain.

"You go outside for 10 or 15 minutes, get that fresh air and you suddenly forget for 15 minutes what was traumatizing you. That respite from the thing that was banging away in my mind and causing me to not function properly was unintentionally helped by Ella and the rest of my dogs."

Middleton and his wife Alizee Thevenet have a whole bunch of dogs these days, but he never forgets Ella, carrying a little badge with her portrait on it around. He recently shared a photo of this badge on Instagram with the caption, "Ella still comes with me everywhere I go…even to the coronation"

Middleton also explained that his dogs have helped him to share his experience of mental health struggles publicly.

"It’s still challenging to talk about it but they gave me the confidence to be able to talk about it," he said.

"And this was where my pivot in life was because I recognized how much my dogs have given me, and I'm just trying to give them an ounce back.

"Unfortunately they are with us for such a short amount of time so I think it's only an ounce that we can give back of how much they've actually given us."

Middleton's older sister, the Princess of Wales, shares her brother's mission of destigmatizing mental health, as well as his love for dogs—since the Wales family currently have a lovely black cocker spaniel named Orla.

James Middleton is the youngest of the three Middleton siblings: The eldest is Kate, who we know today as the Princess of Wales; the middle child is Pippa; and James rounds out Michael and Carole Middleton’s close-knit bunch. James has been open in the past about his struggles with depression, and how his beloved dog, Ella—who died earlier this year of kidney failure at age 15—saved his life. In a moving essay for The Sunday Times following the death of the cocker spaniel, James revealed that both of his sisters attended therapy with him, and that his entire family united alongside him for Ella’s emotional burial.

“Everybody knew how much she [Ella] meant to me, and there was a day they feared the most: the day Ella was no longer in my life,” he wrote. “She meant something to all of them, too.”

He added, “My sisters came to some of my therapy sessions. They’ve always been there during difficult times, and they were at my side during the hardest of times, as well.”

Both sisters’ families have dogs that are descended from Ella. Kate (as if you weren’t aware) is married to Prince William, and they share three children. Pippa is married to James Matthews, and they too have three little ones.

“All the family came to say their goodbyes [to Ella],” James wrote. “I can’t speak for them, but I believe she influenced their lives too. Lupo, Catherine and William’s dog, was one of Ella’s puppies. My sister Pippa and her husband have a pup from Ella, as do other family members.”

Ella “was next to me through my darkest times, her head in my lap,” James continued. “Winston Churchill would complain that he was followed by the ‘black dog’ of depression. I had my own black dog, but she was my saving grace.”

Mental health has long been a priority of Kate’s royal work, People reports. In 2016, alongside William and brother-in-law Prince Harry, she launched Heads Together to end stigmas surrounding conversations and help for mental health. Her work tends to focus specifically on mental health initiatives for mothers and children, and, on a visit last month to the Open Door Charity in Birkenhead, Kate told the group “Talking therapies don’t work for some people—they’re not for everybody,” adding “it’s so important to have a range of therapies.”

Following their chat, Kate said “That was amazing. They’re so inspiring,” People reports.

Kate is part of a new way of doing business for the royals—for starters, she welcomes selfies, which used to be a royal no-no, and is relatable when interacting with the public: People reports that, during a recent visit to Leeds, a man fumbled with his phone as he prepared to take the picture, remarking “I’m sorry, I’m really nervous.” Kate’s heartwarming response? “Please don’t worry. It’s okay. We all get nervous” before smiling for the photo. 

Many of the women I know fall into two categories: the ones who love chocolate, and the ones who love cheese.

While I very much fall into the former, it seems Alizée Thevenet doesn't have my sweet tooth.

James Middleton (the Duchess of Cambridge's younger brother) treated his wife to a homemade cheese fondue for Valentine's Day, cooked over—wait for it—an actual open fire. I mean, who is he, royalty? (He isn't, technically, but just go with it, OK.)

Middleton posted a video of their romantic dinner on his Instagram. "The way to a French girls heart," he captioned it. "Happy Valentine’s Day"

He also shared a sweet photo of his wife with their four stunning canine companions. They appeared to be staying in a chalet of some sort. Valentine's ski trip?

Entrepreneur Middleton and financial analyst Thevenet tied the knot in France back in September 2021. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children all made the trip across the Channel to witness the nuptials.

But while they now have an idyllic love story, things didn't start off so romantically for the couple. In fact, Thevenet thought that her husband-to-be was a waiter "and just ordered a drink." LOL, awks.

Middleton obviously cleared up the misunderstanding, and the two became engaged in 2019. They lead a very wholesome, English life surrounded by dogs and nature. And needless to say, they seem very much in love. Dawww, I love love.

Whether or not yours included cheese fondue cooked over an open fire, I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day. If you need me, I'll just be here counting down the days till Easter (you know, because chocolate).

Kate Middleton’s younger brother, James Middleton, married Alizee Thevenet earlier this month in a ceremony at a beautiful French village on the Cote D’Azure. It sounds like the stuff of fairytale romances: Prince William, Kate, and their kids were in attendance—as were the rest of the Middleton crew, of course—and the couple had their dogs, Ella and Mabel, act as flower girls. That last part is important, because without the help of James’s dog Ella, he may never have met his now-wife.

This story, which comes from royal expert Zoe Forsey on the podcast, Pod Save the Queen (and caught by Express) is a truly classic meet-cute. Back in 2018, James and Alizee were both at the same “fancy private members club” in London, according to Forsey, and James had brought Ella along with him. Though she was initially being a good dog, sitting at James’s feet, she got up to get a drink of water and “was distracted” by a woman in the corner of the bar, so she went over to say a doggy hello. The woman, of course, was Thevenet.

But here’s the best part: When James went up to apologize for the puppy intrusion, according to Forsey, “Alizee actually thought he was a waiter and just ordered a drink.” Obviously the mistake was sorted out, and the pair got engaged in 2019.

The wedding this month was a long time coming, as the couple had to postpone their wedding several times because of the pandemic lockdown. Thevenet wore her mother-in-law Carole’s wedding dress to her own wedding, telling Hello! Magazine, “It always troubled me that wedding dresses are worn once and so it was amazing to give such a beautiful dress a second lease of life.”

How sweet is that?

This weekend, the Queen's cousin, Lady Gabriella Windsor (or "Ella," as her close, personal friends call her) married Thomas Kingston at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. The venue is the same place where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wed almost a year ago and the guest list had a fair amount of overlap too.

In addition to senior members of the royal family, like Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth, and Prince Philip, Lady Gabriella's wedding was also attended by several members of Kate Middleton's family, including her mother and father, Carole and Michael Middleton, her sister Pippa and her husband, James Matthews. Kate's younger brother, James Middleton, also turned out for the royal affair and he brought his girlfriend, Alizee Thevenet, as his date.

The wedding marks James and Alizee's royal debut and their first major public event together as a couple. They did, however, go Instagram official earlier this month in a cute couple picture on James' grid in which they wore matching orange sweaters.

James and Alizee have been dating for about ten months now, according to the Daily Mail.

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• James Middleton has a new girlfriend named Alizee Thevenet.
• James and Alizee made their love Instagram official in May.
• Alizee is a financial analyst and speaks four languages.

James Middleton has a new love in his life. Her name is Alizee Thevenet and here's everything you need to know about her.

She's a financial analyst.

Alizee works in finance as an analyst at the London-based ITG (Investment Technology Group). Before she started at ITG, she worked in marketing and consulting.

She went to Queen Mary University

She graduated from the London university in 2013.

She speaks four languages.

Alizee speaks Spanish, Chile, French, and English and grew up all over the world—in Germany, Indonesia, Chile, France, Belgium, and England.

Her dad says her relationship with James is the real deal.

According to Alizee's dad, Jean-Gabriel Thevenet, she and James are very serious.

“My daughter Alizee is very happy with James, they are very much in love," he told the Daily Mail. "James is a very charming man. I am very happy that Alizee is together with James. I know she is very happy. We keep our fingers crossed for them. I am not allowed to say how they met, to give away their secrets. You must talk to her or James, they will be back in London soon, but I’m very happy for them. I have seen the pictures of Alizee and James in St Barts. They look very happy. Alizee is very happy living in London."

They went Instagram official in May.

James took the relationship Instagram official in May 2019 with a sweet picture of him and Alizee in matching sweaters on a boat.

Mental illness can strike anyone in any place at any time. That's part of the message that James Middleton, brother of literal royal Kate Middleton, aims to get across in his new raw, emotional essay about his own struggles with depression. Writing for the Daily Mail, Middleton shared his experiences with mental illness and how getting help changed the course of his life.

Here are some highlights from the essay, which you can read in full here:

On forcing your way through day-to-day life with depression:

"During the day I’d drag myself up and go to work, then just stare with glazed eyes at my computer screen, willing the hours to tick by so I could drive home again. Debilitating inertia gripped me. I couldn’t respond to the simplest message so I didn’t open my emails."

On how his depression impacted his family:

"I couldn’t communicate, even with those I loved best: my family and close friends. Their anxious texts grew more insistent by the day, yet they went unanswered as I sank progressively deeper into a morass of despair."

On the specifics of what depression feels like:

"I know I’m richly blessed and live a privileged life. But it did not make me immune to depression. It is tricky to describe the condition. It is not merely sadness. It is an illness, a cancer of the mind.

It’s not a feeling but an absence of feelings. You exist without purpose or direction. I couldn’t feel joy, excitement or anticipation – only heart-thudding anxiety propelled me out of bed in the morning. I didn’t actually contemplate suicide — but I didn’t want to live in the state of mind I was in either.

I also felt misunderstood; a complete failure. I wouldn’t wish the sense of worthlessness and desperation, the isolation and loneliness on my worst enemy. I felt as if I was going crazy."

On why he's sharing his story now:

"Firstly, I feel — although I’d never say I am cured of it — that now I understand it and, with professional help, have worked out strategies for coping. Today, I feel a new sense of purpose and zest for life.

Secondly — and perhaps most importantly — I feel compelled to talk about it openly because this is precisely what my brother-in-law Prince William, my sister Catherine and Prince Harry are advocating through their mental health charity Heads Together.

They believe we can only tackle the stigma associated with mental illness if we have the courage to change the national conversation, to expel its negative associations. So it wouldn’t be honest to suppress my story. I want to speak out, and they are my motivation for doing so."

If you're struggling with depression or suicidal ideation, you can get help 24 hours a day by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, (800) 273‑TALK (8255) or chat online with someone suing the Lifeline's Live Online Chat. You can also connect with a trained counselor 24/7 via text at the Crisis Text Line, by texting DBSA to 741741.

Everyone has to make a living, even royal in-laws. Kate Middleton's younger brother, James Middleton, has reportedly taken a job as a tour guide in Scotland, according to the Daily Mail. 

The new gig comes after James' novelty marshmallow company, Boomf, posted losses of £3 million over the past three years and also follows a high-profile split from his girlfriend of five years, actress Donna Air, in February. A time to Eat, Pray, Love if there ever was one, right? 

James is working through his personal and professional changes in Scotland, where he turned to family to help him through the transitions, apparently. James is reportedly giving tours at Glen Affric Lodge near Loch Ness. The property is owned by David Matthews, the father of James Matthews, the hedge fund manager Pippa Middleton married in 2017.

Media coverage of James' apparent career change hasn't exactly been kind. The Daily Mail reported that it had resulted in "some cringe-making publicity pictures" and described James as "posing cheesily with hotel guests at dinner." Way harsh, DM.

For what it's worth, a search of James' name on Instagram and Twitter doesn't (as of this writing) immediately turn up any pictures of James doing his tour guide duties, embarrassing or otherwise. A search of the Glen Affric hashtag on Instagram does turn up some truly breathtaking pictures of the area, however:

James doesn't seem to hate his new life. In fact, according to him, Glen Affric is his personal happy place, so this might actually be a dream job.

"The countryside is where I’m happiest and I’ll be taking my four dogs to Glen Affric with me," James confessed in a recent magazine interview, according to the Daily Mail.

When it comes to Kate Middleton's family, most of the public's attention is laser-focused on her younger sister, Pippa. But there's a third Middleton sibling—the youngest, James, 31. Here's everything you need to know about Kate and Pippa's baby brother.

He was very protective of Kate when she was dating William.

When he was in school and news of Kate and William's relationship started to dominate the press, James would go to extremes to minimize the gossip about his big sister.

"I used to be first up in the morning to make sure I could get to the papers and rip out any stories about my sister, so nobody would see them and there would be no conversations about them," he told the Daily Mail.

He attended Marlborough College and Edinburgh University.

Like Kate and Pippa, James grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire, and attended Marlborough College, a prestigious boarding school in Marlborough, England. Later, he attended Edinburgh University—but not for long.

He knew school wasn't for him.

The youngest Middleton dropped out of Edinburgh after just one year, having never been the academic type. James, who is dyslexic, has been open about his struggles.

"I was fine with numbers but it took me a longer time to grasp simple things like spellings," he said, speaking to the British Dyslexia Association. "I used to spell everything phonetically, or I would have little tricks for words I could not figure out."

He hasn't let dyslexia hinder his ambitions though. James started a company when he left school.

"I knew that that mouthful of academic prescription was not going to do it for me," he told GQ. "My dream, which came to me when I was flying back up to Edinburgh after a weekend home, was to build a cake empire."

His companies have focused on sweets.

James is a business mogul. He ran the Cake Kit Company, which specialized in easy-to-follow at-home baking kits that came with the ingredients pre-measured and simple instructions. His company even created cakes for the likes of Jigsaw and Ralph Lauren.

The company, launched in 2007, eventually dissolved in 2015.

"I believe baking may be the most alluring kitchen activity for children," James has said of his love for baking. "I have great childhood memories of my mother baking and I was always a willing participant, especially if it meant I could re-varnish the kitchen floor with treacle!"

He now owns a novelty marshmallow company called Boomf, which prints custom designs (including photographs) on marshmallows.

"When you see yourself on a marshmallow, or your loved one or your pet, you have a little moment with that little marshmallow. There aren't many products in the world like that," he told The Cut. "I'm very much surrounded by [marshmallows], but I still love them [...] Marshmallows are sort of like an essential candy. They're pillows of sweetness."

His most well known relationship was with TV presenter Donna Air.

James and Donna dated off and on for four years, from 2013 to 2017, before they eventually split.

"We are thinking about where we are going next," he told the Daily Mail in 2016, not long before their split.

Donna, 38, had been previously married and has a 13-year-old daughter, Freya, whom James reportedly got along with well.

"I love Donna very much and Freya is very much part of Donna," James added in the same interview. "I love them both equally."

James and Donna's love story may not be over. In October 2017, a source close to James told The Daily Mail, "James hopes the split will not be permanent."

He's a doting uncle.

Royal baby No. 3 will no doubt be showered with love from his Uncle James.

"I just want to be the best uncle possible," he told Good Morning America in November 2014, just months before Princess Charlotte was born. "Like any uncle wants to be, I want to be the cool uncle. The fun uncle. That's what sort of I'll always try and be."

Just two days after Kate and Will's third child was born, James and his mother Carole Middleton, paid a visit to the new addition at Kensington Palace.

He admits it can be frustrating being related to a duchess.

While James obviously loves his family, including his sisters, he does admit that there are times when being related to someone as famous as Kate can be tough.

"Yes, it does get frustrating," he said in 2015, according to Us Weekly. "I work incredibly hard—just like every other person in business and work, and aside from the fact that yes, I am the brother of someone very important, I am, at the end of the day, just James."