Princess Kate Middleton’s brother James Middleton says he’s lucky to have grown up with two incredible sisters.
In a rare interview shared by The Mirror on Friday, May 23, James, 38, expressed his gratitude toward his siblings Kate, 43, and Pippa Middleton, saying he’s “incredibly fortunate to have my two sisters, not just as siblings, but as friends.”
“They’ve seen me at my best and at my lowest, and they’ve always been there when I’ve needed them,” James added of Kate and Pippa, 41, while noting his past mental health struggles. “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.”
Kate, Pippa and James were raised in Bucklebury, West Berkshire, England by parents Michael and Carole Middleton. They lived a typical, middle-class life before Kate began dating and eventually married the heir apparent to the British throne, Prince William, in 2011 — becoming the Duchess of Sussex and, now, the Princess of Wales. (Kate and William, 42, share three children — Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.)
James insisted that, despite the pressures of being a royal, Kate is a sensitive, strong and emotionally intelligent woman. He credits her, Pippa and their mother with helping him get through a mental health battle, during which he experienced suicidal ideation, in 2017.
“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 realize it at the time,” James said. “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. 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.”
He concluded: “It probably laid the groundwork for me being able to open up later on, whether in therapy, writing the book [Meet Ella], or just in honest conversations with the people I love. And for that, I’m incredibly grateful.”
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly in October 2024, James also noted Kate’s down-to-earth mentality.
“Catherine is very much on a public stage and I’m in awe of a lot of the things she does,” James shared with Us. “I think the thing I’m most proud of is that she’s still the same person that I grew up with.”
Kate, who completed treatment in September 2024 for an undisclosed type of cancer, has been an advocate for mental health throughout her time as a royal. At an “Exploring Our Emotional Worlds” event in October 2023, Kate and William made a joint appearance to discuss the importance of prioritizing wellness.
“What are we trying to improve by focusing our efforts on mental health? Ultimately, we are working to build a happier, healthier world,” Kate said on stage at the time. “We want to shape fairer, safer, kinder, more equal societies — societies that seek the common good and a better future together.”
She added: “Positive mental health is shaped by our ability to understand and manage ourselves as individuals, and to connect with others through our relationships, friendships, families, and communities.”
Back in 2016, the Prince and Princess of Wales also launched Heads Together, a campaign that works to break the stigma around mental health and encourages more people to talk openly about it.
“Catherine had been doing a lot of work with Heads Together, so there was actually more awareness of how to communicate,” he told Us of her mental health guidance, noting she was also “fantastic in supporting my parents through [my struggles].”
“I’m just incredibly grateful that [Kate and William] have been supportive of me over these years as well,” he added.
