James Middleton: ‘We Speak More Openly Now About Mental Health as a Family’ (Exclusive)
"We're a close family, but it's brought us together," the younger brother of Kate Middleton tells PEOPLE ahead of the release of his new memoir, "Meet Ella," out Sept. 24
James Middleton, the younger brother of Princess Kate, may be linked to one of the world’s most famous families, but on a rainy summer afternoon in Bucklebury, Berkshire, his attention is focused on a different brood: his six lively dogs.
These pups hold a special place in his heart, all descendants of his first two beloved pets — the Middleton family dog, Tilly, and his cherished cocker spaniel, Ella, who died in 2023. Ella’s legacy lives on in Middleton’s emotional and candid new memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, out in the U.S. on Sept. 24. (Read PEOPLE’s exclusive excerpt here.)
In it Middleton, 37, shares how Ella helped him through his darkest struggles with depression, including a 2017 night when he almost succumbed to his suicidal thoughts. Ella was by his side through many pivotal life moments, from his sister’s royal wedding to Prince William in 2011 and Christmases with the late Queen Elizabeth, to even playing matchmaker, leading him to his wife, Alizee Thevenet, 35, a French financial technology professional. The couple’s son, Inigo, born just months after Ella’s death, turns one in October.
“It took me on a journey,” Middleton tells PEOPLE of writing his book in this week’s issue of PEOPLE. “I hope that my son is able to learn about his own mental health way before I did so that he doesn’t have to go through some of the very painful moments that I went through.”
Diagnosed with clinical depression, ADD and dyslexia, Middleton now pours his energy into James & Ella, his company dedicated to producing ethical dog food and advocating for the supportive role dogs play in challenging times. Middleton’s own struggles are profound, and during a harrowing night in November 2017 when he considered jumping off the roof of his London apartment building, Ella was his beacon of hope, pulling him back from the brink.
His parents, Carole and Michael, and sisters, Kate, 42, and Pippa Middleton, 41, were soon by his side.
“We speak more openly now about our own mental health as a family. That is a great thing,” he says.
Reflecting on his family’s reaction to his book’s revelations, he shares, “The embrace of a hug from a family member means more than words. We’re a close family, but it’s brought us together. I know they’re proud of me for telling my story.”
