James Middleton wrote a memoir, ‘Meet Ella,’ about dealing with his mental health with his dog’s help
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Kate Middleton’s brother, James, made quite an impression at her royal wedding to Prince William in 2011.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Middleton reveals that his reading of a Bible verse during the ceremony earned him a $1 million offer from an American production company.
"They even ventured," he told the outlet, "that members of my wider family might like to take part."
Middleton apparently declined the offer, and performing the reading was severely anxiety inducing due to his dyslexia.
James Middleton, Kate Middleton's brother, said he was offered a $1 million movie deal after his appearance at her royal wedding to Prince William in 2011. (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Hugo Boss)
Despite his concerns about reading live in front of hundreds of people, not to mention being broadcast around the globe to millions, he thoroughly prepared for the event with a vocal coach, and wanted to be involved in supporting his sister.
"I’d never seen a royal wedding," he said. "There hadn’t been one in my lifetime. Not a big one anyway. I wasn’t aware of the scale or the global interest. I just felt privileged that my sister was asking me to do it, and it meant something to her. I wanted to make sure I did it."
Middleton also recalled Prince William’s attempts to shield the Middleton family from the intense scrutiny of the press in the early days of his relationship with Kate.
"William was a fantastic support for us as a family," the 37-year-old said. "He did everything he could to protect us from the intense interest, not just in Catherine, but also her immediate family."
Middleton said he struggles with dyslexia, so he was nervous about doing the reading but wanted to support his sister. (Clara Molden/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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He added, "But at that time I was already in a vulnerable state of mind, and it was an added pressure."
In his memoir, "Meet Ella," Middleton opens up about his mental health struggles, including contemplating suicide in 2017.
It was his dog, a cocker spaniel named Ella, that helped pull him away from his darkest thoughts.
"I was never alone in a time when I felt very lonely," Middleton said.
Middleton wrote a memoir about surviving his mental health struggles with his dog, titled "Meet Ella." (Simon & Schuster)
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He explained he was struggling with anxiety and depression, recalling to The Sunday Times, "Something was taking over my mind, but not knowing what it was made it very difficult to talk about. And I didn’t feel as though I had a right to be depressed because I’ve had everything, because I am privileged."
"I just felt privileged that my sister was asking me to do it, and it meant something to her. I wanted to make sure I did it."
— James Middleton
Middleton eventually sought treatment, with support from Kate and their sister Pippa, but his parents initially didn’t understand what he was going through.
"They were uncomfortable with the fact that I’d been labeled ‘clinically depressed,'" he writes in his memoir, per The Sunday Times. "To people of their generation, I can understand why it was concerning. Society was only just starting to break through the stigma."
Middleton sought therapy, including therapy, to overcome his mental health struggles. (Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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The Middletons ended up attending family therapy together.
"I felt guilty because I knew they were worried," he told the outlet. "They felt guilty because it’s really hard if you’re not able to help the people you love the most. I was finally understanding how I felt, but I got nervous trying to translate that to my family without the help of an interpreter. When they came into the sessions, they had the opportunity to ask questions that I couldn’t necessarily answer."
And Middleton improved quickly, through therapy and with his dog Ella by his side. A year after his darkest moment, he met his wife Alizee Thevenet, and they married in 2021. They welcomed their first child together in 2023, a son named Inigo.
