Kate Middleton's Brother James Reveals His Early Impressions of Prince William and When He Knew He Was 'Just Right' for Her

Mar. 15, 2025

James Middletonis reflecting on some of his earliest memories ofPrince William— from his love for James' dog Ella to learning that the royal was “just right” for his sisterKate Middleton.

After detailing how he met his beloved dog and the namesake for his book in college, James wrote that he brought the eight-week-old puppy back to Berkshire to his family home, where the now royal couple were staying at the time. As he wrote, Prince William, 42, was already “a fixture in our lives” and “a welcome member of the clan.” James detailed that William also took a liking to Ella.

“I have not told him or Catherine about Ella. They know I am getting a puppy, but they don’t realize her arrival is imminent,” James wrote. “So I let Ella announce herself; place her on the doorstep and allow her to make her entrance. She bounds into the kitchen to introduce herself to Catherine and William.”

Prince William then smiled and told James that he “thought you sounded a bit sheepish about something when you phoned,” before James confirmed, “She’s mine.”

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James Middleton attends the launch of the 200th Burlington Christmas at Burlington Arcade on November 12, 2019.David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

In early 2010, six years into the royal couple’s relationship, James was spending more time in London with his sisters and Ella, and he got to spend some some time with Prince William as well. “But I remember putting him through his paces when we first met,” James wrote. “Did he deserve my sister? He had to earn my trust.”

“It helped of course that William was so genuinely fond of Ella. When he first encountered her as a tiny puppy at Bucklebury, he was smitten. He’d had a black Labrador, Widgeon, as a boy, and when Widgeon died, he left an empty space. I felt William was pining for a dog when Ella was around,” he continued.

For Prince William, James wrote, Ella was “a good excuse to escape the fiercely competitive nature of the Middleton family” — specifically when they played the card game Racing Demon.

“William would flinch at our ruthless determination to win at all costs,” James wrote. “He’d be delighted to be the first out, and when no longer compelled to take part, he’d slink off to cuddle Ella. Better still, he’d absent himself from the game entirely. ‘James, does Ella need a walk?’ he’d ask before we’d even started dealing the cards.”

“My sisters and I would exchange a knowing glance: William, for all the competitive rigor of his military training, was happy to be a loser at cards,” he added.

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Prince William and Kate Middleton attend the second annual Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony in November 2022.Samir Hussein - Pool/WireImage

Samir Hussein - Pool/WireImage

In an additional excerpt fromMeet Ella, James remembered the “terrific buzz throughout the country” over rumors that his sister was engaged years later. He and his family found out about a day before the news went public in 2010, when the Princess of Wales told him while they sat “in a corner, chattering quietly” at a pub near Bucklebury.

“William has been in our lives for so long and we’ve grown very fond of him. He feels like our older brother and he and Catherine are so clearly a good fit, just right for each other,” James wrote. “As we digest the news, I know I haven’t yet experienced the love they feel for each other myself. But I’m hoping one day I will.”

“There on the front page [of theEvening Standardin the following days] was a picture of Catherine in her blue dress,” James continued. “I tucked a copy under my arm and walked home with a sense that it was all quite surreal.”

Noting that William was “lucky” to be “marrying my capable, down-to-earth big sister,” James added that he “felt absolutely reassured” that they were in love. “It was beautiful to see how he brought out her confidence,” he wrote. “She’d blossomed. I knew he’d look after her, and he does to this day.”

James' forthcoming memoir isset to be published on Sept. 24in the U.S. and follows the January 2023 death of his dog Ella after a “short illness.”

He announced the book on Instagram in March, tellingTatlerthat his dog was around for “so many of the important moments of my life,” including when he met his wifeAlizee Thevenet.

source: people.com