James Middleton Recalls Telling Family About Mental Health Journey

Princess Kate Middleton’s brother, James Middleton, was worried about how his family would react to the news of his mental health struggles.

“I needed to understand it myself, and I knew that my family wouldn’t necessarily understand it,” James, 37, told Hello! magazine in an interview published on Monday, September 23, while promoting his upcoming book, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.

While the book tells the story of James’ sweet bond with late dog Ella, he also looks back at the darker days in his life. A previously published excerpt revealed that James experienced suicidal thoughts and depression. This eventually led to a further discussion about his mental health and an eventual diagnosis with attention deficit disorder (ADD).

“Although I’d never wish my own mental health challenges on anybody, it was the beginning of a new chapter for me,” he told Hello! “I rediscovered James Middleton, who I was, and recalibrated myself into trying to define what made me happy.”

When it came to telling his family — which includes parents Michael and Carole Middleton, along with sisters Kate, 42, and Pippa Middleton — James took his time, but he eventually had their full support.

“We are certainly a close family that goes through things together,” he said. “That was the experience I had through my challenges, and I certainly feel like it’s something that [Catherine’s] family and our family are doing too.”

James’ reference to his sister comes months after the Princess of Wales revealed her cancer diagnosis in March. James hasn’t offered too many details about the status of Kate’s health, but he previously shared a sweet message of support after news of her diagnosis went public.

“Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together,” James captioned an Instagram post on March 22, sharing a throwback photo of the Middleton family. “As a family, we will climb this one with you too.”

Kate announced on September 9 that she finished chemotherapy treatment and is on the “long” road to recovery. While Kate’s cancer journey will not be detailed in Meet Ella — which is set to be released on Thursday, September 26 — James did discuss his relationship with the royal family at length. In one portion, he gushed over how Kate “blossomed” after meeting husband Prince William.

“William has been in our lives for so long and we’ve grown very fond of him,” he wrote, according to an excerpt published by the Daily Mail earlier this month. “He feels like our older brother and he and Catherine are so clearly a good fit, just right for each other.”