Tragic Details About Kate Middleton's Brother James

The following article includes mentions of mental health and suicide.

Despite all the red flags in Carole and Michael Middleton's relationship, the royal in-laws are known for having raised some pretty exceptional children. Their oldest daughter, Catherine, Princess of Wales, grew up to be a philanthropist who married into literal royalty. Their second child, Pippa Middleton, is a marathon runner who earned a master's degree in physical education. And in 2024, the youngest Middleton, James, published "Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life" — a memoir exploring his dog's impact on his emotional well-being and mental health. From this bird's eye perspective, one might assume that nobody in this famous family has faced any real challenges. However, a closer look at James' life shows that things are not always what they seem.

Although James was raised in a nice home by loving parents, life proved challenging for him from the very beginning. As a student, he struggled to perform well in school. His grades were so poor that he left his family feeling perpetually disappointed in his efforts. To make matters worse, James was constantly compared to his two older sisters — both of whom were more popular and successful than him. All of this catalyzed the perfect storm that would propel James into years of struggle and tragedy.

When James Middleton was just a child, he realized that certain things came more easily to his sisters. Whereas Princess Catherine and Pippa Middleton would whiz through books and newspaper articles, he found literacy much more challenging. In fact, reading was so difficult for James that the thought of opening a book in front of his classmates tormented him. Eventually, he was diagnosed with dyslexia. "Since childhood, I've known I was severely dyslexic — both letters and numbers still jump and blur on the page in front of me, and some days I have difficulty spelling even the simplest words," James wrote in the Daily Mail back in 2019.

Although James' diagnosis helped explain why reading presented such a challenge for him, it did not make his daily life any easier. After all, around the time he learned of his condition, James had enrolled at Marlborough College — a competitive school for students aged 13 to 18 — where he was expected to excel academically. "Spelling and reading are something you're expected to be able to do by then, so if you struggle at them, it's not the easiest," James confessed in a 2012 interview for the Daily Mail. He also alluded to how some of his classmates even bullied him for misreading words during class. "When I read out loud in class it was a joy for everyone else because I would mispronounce things so badly ... There was a certain amount of teasing," James revealed.

As if it wasn't stressful enough to be one of the few dyslexic students at an elite private school, James Middleton faced another major challenge. His older sisters, Kate and Pippa Middleton, both attended the same institution and they were extremely popular with the teachers. Pippa — who was initially nicknamed "Panface Pippa" — did so well in school that her classmates started to call her "Perfect Pippa." Kate, meanwhile, showed a similar level of academic prowess, earning 11 GCSE's and three A-levels.

Compared to his sisters, James often felt like a failure. These feelings were not helped by his teachers, who didn't understand why the youngest Middleton showed little talent for academics and rugby. As James would one day tell the Independent, some of his instructors would even ask him, "Are you sure you're a Middleton?" At the time, James was crushed by this cruel question.

What's more, James' own parents simply didn't understand why he struggled so much in school. In their day, Carole and Michael Middleton were great students who excelled in a number of different subjects. They could see why Kate and Pippa made good grades but couldn't comprehend why James didn't do the same. "It's forever frustrating to be compared. I think it was challenging for my parents, because they saw my sisters flourish and go through that schooling system without any hiccups or any real challenges," James revealed in the same interview. 

Seeing as James Middleton performed so poorly at school, his parents often questioned sending him to a private institution. Even back when James was a student, tuition at Marlborough College was not cheap. In fact, enrolling at the prestigious school would have cost the Middletons somewhere around £32,000 per year, which is equivalent to $40,000. This massive price tag led Carole and Michael Middleton to believe that their son's education was not paying off.

In his book "Meet Ella," James revealed that his father Michael once called Marlborough College fees a "waste of money" (via Daily Mail). The reason for this disparaging comment is that James had failed his chemistry A-levels — for the fourth time. Neither Carole nor Michael quite understood why their son continually failed his exams. While James' mother cried in the face of the test results, Michael was apparently astounded that he paid so much for schooling and yet his child still failed national exams.

As an institution, Marlborough College was similarly horrified by James' chemistry scores. In his book, James himself would later admit that nobody else in the history of the school had ever performed so poorly on their A-levels. At one point, he even referred to his results as a "humiliating record" for the school. James' weak grades did nothing to boost his confidence as he grew older. If anything, his academic status began to chip away at his self-esteem.

Many students find that school is about far more than academic achievement. For some, it is a place to create social connections, participate in sports teams, and even make a few life-long friends. Unfortunately for James Middleton, this is not exactly what happened during his Marlborough College days. On top of struggling to perform academically, James found himself unable to forge friendships. He was badly bullied for being different, and over time, all the negativity began to weigh down on him. "There was probably a period when I thought, 'I don't know if I can be who I am because of the teasing," James admitted in a 2016 interview with the Daily Mail.

Over the weekends, Carole Middleton would try to encourage James to invite his buddies over. She wanted her son to build a social life and hoped to be able to support him in that endeavor. However, James didn't want to spend any more time with his classmates than he already had to. He just wanted to spend time with the family dog, Tilly. In his book "Meet Ella," James explained, "I was an outcast ... alienated from my classmates. But dogs never judged me. Mum asked repeatedly if I wanted to bring friends home to stay at weekends. But truthfully all I wanted to do was to see Tilly" (via The Times). 

As James Middleton's academic career continued, he came to understand that studying was not for him. He dropped out of university and tried to start a business. However, he still struggled to complete minor tasks. By the time he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, James was in his 30s and had already suffered tremendously due to decades spent without a diagnosis. In his 2019 tell-all, James explained, "But it was only when, a year ago, I was also diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) that all the quirks and foibles of my character started to make sense ... And it was a revelation when I was told I had it. It explained so much" (via the Daily Mail).

Despite the challenges of having learned about his condition later in life, James was relieved to discover that there was a reason why he was struggling. "ADD explains other things, too: why I'm restless, energetic and impulsive; why I start tasks but can't complete them; why sometimes I seem impatient and don't listen because my mind is galloping off on some flight of fancy," he wrote in the same article. The diagnosis also allowed James to develop strategies for coping with his learning disability. For instance, he learned to write out a list of no more than 10 items to complete each day. On days when he needs a bit more support to focus, he might take some medication, as prescribed by his doctor, which help manage his symptoms. 

When James Middleton first dropped out of university to start a business, he was hopeful. School had not been a great fit for him, but that didn't mean that the business world wouldn't provide other kinds of opportunities. If anything, James thought that he might find himself through entrepreneurship. "I knew that that mouthful of academic prescription was not going to do it for me," he told GQ at the time. He went on to add, "Like lots of dyslexics, I am better at learning in a hands-on way and from my mistakes, not by being taught."

Although James' optimism was commendable, it was not necessarily realistic. Starting a business would not be an easy feat, and James didn't have a lot of experience to rely on. Nevertheless, in 2007, he founded The Cake Kit Company. The enterprise sold cake-baking assembly kits — complete with frosting and a baking tin. The idea was to give people the chance to make their own birthday cakes at home in an easy and convenient way. 

And, at first, the company was successful. James' had even planned to sell his products through Carole Middleton's controversial party planning website, Party Pieces. Over time, however, questions arose about the quality of James' product. One partygoer even told the Daily Mail, "Without being awful, the cakes tasted very much like they had come from a supermarket." Cake sales slowly came to a halt, and by 2015, James had to close up shop.

Many entrepreneurs find it very difficult to face the failure of one of their businesses. For James Middleton, though, this was especially hard. Whereas the average entrepreneur is a private citizen whose ventures don't appear in the papers, James is something of a celebrity. His older sister is Princess Catherine of Wales, so the public has expressed an ongoing interest in his life. As a result, there were plenty of tabloid newspapers that were thrilled to report on the collapse of James' cake business. 

Months before The Cake Kit Company closed, the Daily Mail published a piece critiquing James for selling cakes that apparently weren't tasty. The columnist wrote, "While I and my two young sons love a cupcake, I'm afraid to say they were rather disappointing. The vanilla sponges tastes like a cheap supermarket cake — oily rather than buttery, and bland." The author went on to add, "The icing paste is so thick and gooey that it is genuinely unpleasant and made my teeth ache."

Although we can neither confirm nor deny the tastiness of the treats in question, one thing is clear: No tabloid would have been interested in reviewing James' product if his sister were not poised to be the next Queen of England. Because of Catherine's fame, James' failures garnered media attention in a way that was uniquely humiliating. This likely made the young entrepreneur feel even worse about his business disappointments.

As James Middleton struggled to find himself, he began to experience symptoms of depression. He battled with insomnia and struggled to concentrate on running his businesses. Most of all, he felt a distinctive lack of joy in his daily life. Reflecting on this period in a 2024 piece for the Daily Mail, James wrote, "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. Debilitating inertia gripped me. I couldn't respond to the simplest message, so I didn't open my emails."

Over time, James' symptoms got worse. He would spend entire evenings pacing in his home. He also experienced suicidal thoughts. Before long, James realized that he needed to seek help. After calling his general practitioner, James was given a referral to speak to a psychiatrist. He underwent therapy and learned more about depression. 

As he learned more and more about the condition, James realized that he wanted to share his story. His hope was to increase awareness about depression and help people understand that anyone can suffer due to mental health challenges, regardless of social background. "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," James wrote in his 2019 article.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

As James Middleton learned more about depression, he hoped to discuss his mental health with his parents. Unfortunately, Carole and Michael Middleton did not know a lot about the condition. At first, they were not sure how to be supportive. In his book "Meet Ella," James recalled, "Mum and Dad found it difficult to talk to me about my mental health, because they felt they knew me better than I did. Their intentions were kind. They were hugely supportive. But some of their suggestions were not constructive. They were resistant to therapy. And their biggest worry was that I would become dependent on antidepressant drugs" (via GBNews).

Luckily, James succeeded in convincing Carole and Michael to study up on his condition to help them better understand his options. Meanwhile, his two older sisters — Kate and Pippa Middleton — stepped up and even accompanied him to therapy. Thus, the two Middleton girls were able to give James the sense of familial support that Carole and Michael couldn't provide. As James wrote in his memoir, "Catherine and Pippa come on board, and they understand. This is the first time they have become aware of the extent of my struggles and the fact that they are here [in therapy] with me, wanting so much to help me, makes me cry" (per Newsweek). 

Although Princess Catherine and Pippa Middleton did prove themselves to be extremely supportive of their younger brother, there is one individual who James Middleton credits for having saved his life. James' dog Ella stood by his side throughout much of his mental health journey. On the days when James' symptoms were particularly difficult to cope with, Ella was there to support him. On the nights when he needed a friend and confidante, Ella was ever the faithful hound.

Because of everything that James and Ella experienced together, the pair developed a close bond. Even Queen Elizabeth II — a corgi owner herself — understood just how important Ella was to the youngest Middleton. James had a sweet relationship with Queen Elizabeth II, and in "Meet Ella," James explained that the late monarch would occasionally invite the puppy to stay at the palace. Whenever James spent the night on royal grounds, his dog did too.

When Ella died in January 2023, James was understandably crushed. At the time, he announced the news on Instagram, writing, "It is with great sadness that I announce my dear Ella has passed away. For 15 years Ella has been at my side, from my darkest days to my happiest. I'm going to miss her terribly." James went on to add that he was so affected by the loss that he could barely write the message of tribute. "I'm just about holding it together to write this," he wrote.

James Middleton's life may appear perfect from afar, but the entrepreneur has faced many challenges. In 2024, James was particularly affected when his sister Princess Catherine was diagnosed with cancer. Although James has been reticent to speak about the princess' condition to the press, he has not been afraid to express support for her. In March 2024, he even went so far as to share an old family photo of himself and Catherine to Instagram. He then captioned the photo with words of inspiration: "Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too."

In an appearance on the "Today Show," James explained the thought behind the post. "I like the metaphor of climbing a mountain. It's something that we've done as a family all of our lives. And you have to respect a mountain," he shared. While James did not go into too much detail about his sister's health, he made it clear that he would be at her side all the way. As of 2025, Kate Middleton is cancer-free – you can view a timeline of Kate's health issues here — and despite the hardships, the experience revealed James' love for his family, who has been there to support him after his own life-changing diagnoses.