James Middleton: the Princess of Wales' brother and his struggles with depression

It doesn't matter who you are, mental health problems can be devastating, even for the brother-in-law of the future king of England. If James Middleton seems happy today on his social networks, the reality is that it has not always been so. In fact, the British businessman has struggled with depression for years, with some terrifyingly dramatic moments.

In a letter he penned to the Daily Mail, which was published in January 2019, James Middleton spoke about the terrible depression in his life. A "cancer of the mind", as he defined it, which forced him to be a recluse - keeping it all away from his family.

“I couldn’t respond to the simplest message so I didn’t open my emails. I couldn’t communicate, even with those I loved best: my family and close friends”, the younger brother of the Princess of Wales wrote. "Their anxious texts grew more insistent by the day, yet they went unanswered as I sank progressively deeper into a morass of despair.".

That state of profound discomfort also affected his professional life: "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," he said in the letter to the Daily Mail.

Fortunately, James Middleton eventually overcame his depression. According to him, it was his dogs that contributed greatly to his recovery. "It’s still challenging to talk about it but they gave me the confidence to be able to talk about it" he explained in the OK Magazine interview. "My dog Ella, in particular, was my reason for getting up in the morning, getting dressed, getting out and walking, even though it was pouring with rain."

His dog, Ella, was particularly by his side - "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".

James gave all his attention to his dogs to forget about his worries, which was very beneficial for him. So much so that he considers his pets as his saviours: "They played such an important role to the point that I do think they've saved my life," said the youngest Middleton.

Photo: Instagram / @jmidy

In 2018, in an interview for Tatler magazine, James Middleton confessed that he had struggled to handle the day-to-day pressure of his sister being in a relationship with Prince William. That pressure, he recounted, caused him to develop attention deficit disorder.

"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," he told the Daily Mail.

Born on April 15, 1987, James is the youngest and only boy of the three Middleton siblings. The three of them are very close despite James not having as much public coverage as his sisters; but he has also lived with public interest since Kate and William's marriage in 2011.

James Middleton has always appeared to have a very special closeness to his sister Pippa (1983), and regularly accompanies her to the events she attends.

James has chosen to live his life as normally as possible, away from royalty, except on special occasions such as weddings, christenings, communions or Christmas. His sister is the future Queen of England, so he does not usually miss such events. Aside from these examples, the youngest Middleton has always sought to preserve his privacy.

James Middleton studied at St. Andrews and Marlborough College, before attending the University of Edinburgh, where he stayed for only one year. In 2006 he abandoned his studies to start his life in business, where he would experience more failures than successes.

In 2013, James Middleton (then 26 years old) launched Boomf, a personalized home gift delivery company. Despite a promising first two years, the company ended up racking up multi-million pound losses. In 2022, the company was finally sold to Estonian entrepreneur Nick Jenkins for £300,000 (€360,000).

It wasn't James Middleton's first failure as an entrepreneur. He had tried his luck before with Cake Kit Company, a company that made baking kits, and Nice Cakes, a cupcake store that closed in 2017. It was several failures, but he still kept going.

His latest project has been the creation of Ella & Co, a company that sells freeze-dried pet food, including fresh and dehydrated products such as apples, seeds, chicken, carrots, etc. Their objective is to offer a nutritional contribution that, according to the company's website, does not exist in other animal feed brands on the market.

Dogs have a very important place in James Middleton's life, both in his personal and professional life. You only have to see his profiles on social networks like Instagram to realise that he is the proud owner of a tribe of fluffy friends.

Photo: Instagram / @jmidy

James Middleton currently has a family six dogs: Inca, Luna, Zulu, Nala, Mabel and Isla. Four cocker spaniels and two golden retrievers. The photo shows Isla, the youngest of them all, on the right, who was a few months old when the photos was taken.

Photo: Instagram / @jmidy

In January 2023, James Middleton announced Ella had died on his Instagram. This was the little dog who accompanied him for almost half of his life. "For 15 years, Ella has been at my side, from my darkest days to my happiest. I'm going to miss her terribly," he wrote on Instagram.

Photo: Instagram / @jmidy

Given his experience with dogs, James Middleton became an ambassador for Pets as Therapy, a national charity that aims to improve the health and well-being of thousands of people in the UK through the loving companionship of these animals.

James Middleton has also been considered, for several years now, as a stylish British man, being elegant, cultured and very natural. However, unfortunately for his many suitors, his heart already has an owner.

After breaking up with presenter Donna Air (pictured), James Middleton met Alizée Thevenet in 2018. Their romance could have been out of a movie. The two were at the South Kensington Club when his dog Ella snuck under the table of this French financial analyst.

"Alizée thought I was the waiter and ordered her drink while continuing to stroke Ella, who at this point was on her back lapping up the attention. Little did I know, but I had just met my future wife, all thanks to Ella," said James Middleton to The Telegraph. And since that special encounter they have not been separated.

The couple made their engagement official in May 2019, appearing together at the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Tomas Kingston. A few months later, in October of that year, they announced their intention to marry with a photo on Instagram showing the al-important the ring in the foreground.

Alizée Thevenet was born in France in 1990, but has lived all over the world and speaks several languages. James actually removed his beard for her.... And he hadn't shaved for seven years!

James Middleton and Alizée Thevenet got married on September 11, 2021 in the southeast of France, in Bormes-les-Mimosas and obviously their dogs were among their most illustrious guests. Mabel and Ella even dressed up as bridesmaids for the occasion! "Yesterday I married the love of my life [...] words cannot describe how happy I am," James wrote on Instagram the next day.

The union has been just one more step that marks the end of a dark period of his life. And James Middleton today seems happier than ever with the family he has built, without forgetting where he comes from and what he is now part of. It was clear he would stick by his family as was evident by his presence, alongside his sister Pippa, at the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023.