Kate Middleton has always been there for her younger brother James, who has battled with his mental health over the years and has praised the royal’s ’emotional intelligence’
Kate Middleton and her brother James grew up in Berkshire (Image: jmidy/Instagram)
To the country, she’s a beloved icon, and the future Queen, but to James Middleton, she’s just his big sister Kate.
The 38 year old has described the Princess of Wales as his rock, even with raising Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and her Royal diary chock-a-block.
He opened up about how Kate, 43, and their sister Pippa, 41, were his lifelines during his bleakest times. “I’m incredibly fortunate to have my two sisters, not just as siblings, but as friends,” he shared.
“They’ve seen me at my best and at my lowest, and they’ve always been there when I’ve needed them. 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.”
James described the Princess as sensitive, robust and emotionally intelligent (Image: PA)
In the rare interview with the Mirror, James revealed that beneath the regal facade, Kate is a sensitive, robust, and emotionally intelligent woman.
Following a mental health crisis in 2017 that had him contemplating the worst, James heaps praise on the formidable women in his life – Kate, Pippa, and mum Carole, 70 – for being his saviours.
“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 realise it at the time,” he reflects.
“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.
James said he relied on his sisters during his lowest points(Image: Getty Images)
“That doesn’t mean I always found it easy. In fact, like a lot of men, I struggled with expressing how I was doing when I was at my lowest.
“But having strong women around me who led with compassion and honesty definitely helped me learn that vulnerability wasn’t weakness, it was strength.
“It probably laid the groundwork for me being able to open up later on, whether in therapy, writing the book, or just in honest conversations with the people I love. And for that, I’m incredibly grateful.”
James looks back with fondness on his childhood in Berkshire with business moguls Carole and dad Michael, 75, the ex-British Airways bigwig.
James and his wife Alizee welcomed their first baby Indigo after Ella’s passing(Image: Instagram)
Kate tied the knot with Prince William in 2011 and is a doting mum to their three heirs, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, showcasing her own mettle, particularly revealing last March that she was battling cancer.
Following the conclusion of her therapy in September, she’s bounced back into the limelight and is now joyfully in remission.
James gives credit not only to the powerhouse women in his life but also to his trusty cocker spaniel Ella, lauding, “She gave me a reason to get up, to go outside, to care.”
His cherished pet Ella is celebrated within the pages of James’s biography, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life(Image: Chris Terry)
Tying the knot with French finance guru Alizee Thevenet in September 2021, James put pen to paper on his memoir after finding out they were expecting baby Indigo, now 20 months old, shortly following Ella’s passing early in 2023.
He confides in Notebook magazine: “I’ve come to realise that grief isn’t something you ‘get over’, it’s something you learn to embrace. It becomes part of you.
“It helped me honour Ella’s life and the massive imprint she left. I also hoped someone else who’s grieving might feel a little less alone. The joy and the grief are intertwined”.
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