Kate Middleton’s younger brother James has spoken out about her shock cancer diagnosis, saying it was a ‘challenging time’ for the entire family.
In an interview, the Princess’s brother, 38, candidly discusses mental health, including his experience of suicidal ideation and the struggles faced during Kate’s terrifying bout of illness.
James revealed there was an enormous strain placed on his family when his sister, 43, announced she had been diagnosed with cancer in March 2024, and was undergoing treatment.
He told The Times: ‘For her and her family, it was a challenging time, and I know for us and our bigger family it was a challenging time.’
The entrepreneur, who now operates dog food business James & Ella, explained how the process taught him to offer unconditional support wherever possible.
‘Being there for someone is such an important part, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be on your terms, and it shouldn’t be on your terms.
‘It should be on their terms; unconditional: “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, it is just generally being there.’
James Middleton (pictured with dog Zulu) revealed that Kate’s cancer diagnosis presented a ‘challenging time’ for the entire family
The 38-year-old detailed the way in he which he supported his sister in her time of need by offering unconditional support (Kate and James pictured together)
In early September last year, the Princess of Wales revealed that she had completed chemotherapy and was ‘taking each day as it comes’ in her recovery journey.
Father-of-one James, whose book Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life has just been published in the UK in paperback, also opened up about the time he came close to suicide, standing on the ledge of his parents’ Chelsea house ready to jump.
His childhood dog, Ella, was looking up at him from below as if imploring him to come down, which he thankfully did.
James detailed how he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and clinical depression in 2017, having struggled in school and university all his life owing to his dyslexia.
He began a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and even found a consultant psychiatrist who was open to allowing his dog Ella to sit in on their sessions.
James credited his sister Kate and brother-in-law William for the work they have done on reducing stigmas surrounding mental illness.
And in light of his struggles, he said that Kate’s cancer journey brought them closer together.
His comments come as Kate releases a video revealing how the ‘healing power of nature’ played a vital role during her treatment for cancer.
Father-of-one James said Kate’s period of illness was hard for both sides of the family (the siblings pictured together as children)
In an interview, the entrepreneur (pictured in 2023) also discussed his mental health, saying he had been close to suicide in 2017
The series, which will be released on Kensington Palace’s social media channels, began yesterday with ‘Spring’, a three-minute film narrated by Kate, which features footage of her and Prince William on the Isle of Mull earlier this month.
The other three short films will be released across the course of the year, with the Summer, Autumn and Winter editions to be released in due course.
Referring to how she sought comfort and strength from being outdoors with her family during her cancer battle last year, Kate said: ‘Over the past year, nature has been my sanctuary.
‘The natural world’s capacity to inspire us, to nurture us and help us heal and grow is boundless and has been understood for generations.
‘It is through nature that we can fully understand the true interconnectedness of all things, the importance of balance and the importance of renewal and resilience.
‘Connecting to nature helps us to experience a deeper sense of ourselves, the world around us, and each other.’
She added: ‘Spring is a season of rebirth, of hope and new beginnings. From the dark days of winter, the outside world quietly awakens with new life, and there comes a sense of optimism, anticipation, and positive, hopeful change.
‘Just as nature revives and renews so too can we. Let us reconnect to nature and celebrate a new dawn within our hearts.
James Middleton (pictured late last year) detailed how he stood on top of his parents’ Chelsea house, ready to jump, but was encouraged to come down by his dog looking up at him
Kate has just released one in a series of videos that explores the effect of nature on her healing journey
‘It is often from the smallest of seeds that the greatest change can happen, and in this ever-growing complex world, we need to hold on to what connects us all.
‘Spring is here, so let’s make the most of it together.’
The princess also made clear how much she hopes that her message will provide an antidote to the ‘increasingly complex and digital world’.
Signing off the post with ‘C’ – a sign that it personally comes from her – the royal wrote: ‘This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, we are celebrating humanity’s long standing connection to nature, and its capacity to inspire us and help us to heal and grow in mind, body and spirit.
‘As we confront the challenges of an increasingly complex and digital world, the importance of the connection between humanity and nature takes on even more significance.
‘The Mother Nature series is a reminder and reflection of the beauty and complexity of the human experience. It is a tribute to the lessons we can learn from nature, helping us to foster our own growth, strengthen our bonds with the world around us and each other.’
‘Mother Nature’ is described as a ‘celebration of the raw, untamed beauty of the changing seasons across the UK’.