As the younger brother of Catherine, Princess of Wales, and an extended member of the British royal family, James Middleton is no stranger to a life in the spotlight.
In 2011, James Middleton captured the internet's attention when he attended the former Kate Middleton's wedding to Prince William. The supportive brother spoke at the globally televised ceremony in Westminster Abbey, reading a Bible verse to honor the couple.
Since then, James Middleton has been regularly photographed at more events involving the royal family over the years, like Princess Charlotte's christening in 2015 and Princess Eugenie’s wedding at St. George’s Chapel in 2018. He has also been spotted on other outings, too, like trips to Wimbledon with sister Pippa Middleton.
But in 2019, he opened up about how had been secretly struggling with depression while living a life in the public eye.
"I know I’m richly blessed and live a privileged life," he wrote in an op-ed for the Daily Mail. "But it did not make me immune to depression."
He also applauded his sister, Prince William and Prince Harry in the piece for their work with the charity Heads Together, sharing that the three of them advocating for mental health awareness inspired him to speak out about his struggles.
James Middleton has become an ambassador for a charity called Pets as Therapy that provides therapeutic animals to those in need of companionship and support during tough times. He also frequently speaks out about the importance of animals in his life, particularly his late dog Ella, in interviews and on social media.
Read on to learn more about James Middleton, what he has said about his depression and how he has supported sister Kate Middleton through her health issues, below.
Who is Kate Middleton's brother, James?
James Middleton is Kate Middleton's youngest sibling and only brother. He was born in 1987 to their parents, Carole and Michael Middleton. He is also the younger brother of Pippa Middleton, Kate Middleton's younger sister.
What does Kate Middleton’s brother do?
According to the "about the author" section of his upcoming book "Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life," James Middleton describes himself as an entrepreneur and dog lover. He is also the founder of James & Ella, a "happiness and well-being company for dogs" and often shares vides and pictures of his many four-legged friends on Instagram.
James Middleton uses his platform to advocate for mental health, too.
Is James Middleton in a relationship?
In 2021, the entrepreneur announced that he married Alizée Thevenet in a post shared on his Instagram page. According to The Telegraph, Thevenet is a French financial analyst.
"Yesterday, I married the love of my life surrounded by family, friends and, of course, a few dogs in the beautiful village or Bormes-les-Mimosas. Words cannot describe how happy I am," he wrote in the post at the time.
They celebrated their third wedding anniversary in September 2024. "Happy anniversary Alizée," he wrote beside a photo of them kissing on their wedding day.
He added, "Our third as husband & wife, our second without Ella but our first as parents."
Does James Middleton have children?
James Middleton became a father for the first time in October 2023. In a post uploaded to his Instagram page, the entrepreneur announced that he and his wife welcomed a baby boy named Inigo.
The post featured three photos of the newborn, the first being Inigo's tiny hand in the proud dad's hand.
In the post, James Middleton described the powerful feeling of welcoming a baby into the world.
"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 at the time. "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 Alizée as we became three."
Earlier this year, he celebrated his birthday by sharing an adorable photo of the father-son duo wearing matching berets.
"Surrounded by family, friends and of course my dogs," he said in the caption.
He covered Inigo's face with a white heart and has continued to do so in other posts featuring his son.
Why was James Middleton in therapy?
In 2019, the Daily Mail published an op-ed from James Middleton in which he detailed his years-long struggle with depression, which he described as “a cancer of the mind.”
In his piece, James Middleton shared that he first began to experience symptoms of clinical depression in 2016.
“I couldn’t communicate, even with those I loved best: my family and close friends,” he wrote at the time.
“People have asked me if my public profile has made it harder for me,” he continued in the op-ed. “But I wouldn’t have found a voice or an outlet for my story if it hadn’t been for the people I’m related to.”
What has James Middleton said about Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis?
Hours after Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced her cancer diagnosis on March 22, 2024, her younger brother offered his unwavering support and love.
He shared an encouraging throwback post on Instagram, featuring his older sister, with words of strength and support.
The post included a single picture of the two siblings as children smiling before a mountain backdrop. James Middleton accompanied the photo with a heartfelt caption.
“Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you, too,” he said.
The post came after Kate Middleton disclosed that she was undergoing treatment for cancer and shared that her diagnosis had an extreme impact on her entire family.
On Sept. 9, the Princess of Wales provided a health update on social media, announcing that she completed her chemotherapy treatment.
"Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus," she wrote, in part. "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."
