The Weirdest Things About Kate Middleton's Brother James

Of all the Middletons, Kate Middleton's brother James seems the most comfortable sharing details about his private life. While Kate's online presence is restricted to her role as Princess of Wales, James has a pretty active Instagram page where he shares a good bit about his life. He has also penned guest essays for different publications and given plenty of interviews. Their sister, Pippa Middleton, and parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, on the other hand, have largely shied away from all that.

Through that exposure, James has shown his weird side. One thing that is clear from his socials is that James loves his dogs. While many of us are animal lovers, he takes his passion a bit too far. In January 2023, he lost his beloved black cocker spaniel, Ella, which is understandably a tragic event in James' life. However, his display of affection for her can be over the top. Want an example? He has a tiny portrait of her that he carries with him everywhere.

In May 2023, Ella even accompanied him to the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. "Ella still comes with me everywhere I go... even to the coronation. Very proud day to be British. God Save the King," he captioned an Instagram post featuring the artwork. But his declarations of love for Ella aren't the only way he has shown his quirky side. From celebrating the queen on his wedding anniversary to talking about his sister when no other Middleton does, James can be a bit weird at times.

On the most romantic holiday of the year, people tend to use social media to showcase their love for their significant others. James Middleton is no different, except he includes his dogs among his SOs, right on par with his wife, Alizée Thevenet. "I was lost, and Ella found Alizee. Together, they saved me. Ella led me to my soul mate, my everything. For that reason I will always have two valentines..." he celebrated in a Valentine's Day Instagram post in 2024. Loving a pet is one thing, but celebrating them on V-Day is... weird?

Add to that the fact that Ella had been dead for more than a year, and his post just gives off strange vibes all around. Besides, that wasn't the only time. In 2025, Middleton didn't even include his wife in his Valentine's Day post, choosing to focus on his son and one of his dogs. "How it started... Valentines 2024. How it's going... Valentines 2025. Pure Love," he captioned the Instagram post that included a picture of baby Inigo holding the dog's paw and another of him as a toddler hugging the pet.

The trend isn't new. He saved the date in 2023 to celebrate just Ella, making no mention of his wife of one year. "You will always be my Valentines Ella. I planted a rose today so next year hopefully I will have a rose to put in her grave," he captioned the post.

On September 11, 2022, a year after James Middleton's wedding to Alizée Thevenet, he celebrated their very first anniversary by sharing the above photo of Queen Elizabeth II's wedding to Prince Philip in November 1947. "Today is our 1st wedding anniversary. However it doesn't seem right to celebrate while mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II," he captioned the Instagram post. Elizabeth had died three days earlier, on September 8, 2022. "Instead I'm sharing a photo of the marriage of the Queen & the Duke of Edinburgh on their wedding 74 years ago."

On the day the monarch died, Middleton paid his respects with a heartfelt Instagram post that highlighted their shared passion for dogs. "Queen Elizabeth II, the epitome of steady grace, resolve and reassurance. Our constant in a world of change. Thank you for a lifetime of service & leadership," he wrote, including photos of Elizabeth with her beloved corgis through the years. It's not like he hadn't already paid tribute to the queen. Still, he weirdly chose to honor her on his milestone anniversary.

Besides, his wife seemed like an afterthought in his post. "To my darling Alizee I look forward to sharing as many with you in our lifetime," he wrote at the end of the caption. We weren't the only ones who found this a bit odd. "Perhaps a subdued celebration of your love for Alizee might be the way to go," one commenter suggested.

When he lost Ella, James Middleton had his first taste of grief. That's understandable, given that she played a crucial role in Middleton's mental health journey. "For 15 years Ella has been at my side, from my darkest days to my happiest. I'm going to miss her terribly," he wrote on Instagram. However, he has maintained that losing a pet might be the worst type of grieving a person will experience.

More than two years after losing Ella, Middleton still defended this. "The reason that losing a dog often feels harder than losing a relative or a friend is, I think, because the way that they love us is so uncomplicated," he wrote in an essay for The Times in November 2024. "Their simple request in life is that you love them back — and with that there's something so honest and pure." There is no doubt that losing a beloved pet is a painful event, but to compare it to losing family members or friends is a bit weird. 

This notion might even come across as offensive to, say, a parent mourning the loss of a child. Perhaps Middleton just hasn't dealt with the loss of someone close to him. However, he isn't alone in his sentiment. "We are always growing away from our parents and our children are always growing from us. But the bond we have with our dogs is eternal," an Instagram user commented in one of Middleton's posts.

James Middleton is now best known for his dog food venture, but he had his entrepreneurial start selling cakes. While plenty of the designs made by Nice Cakes were family-friendly, many were not. Those included some displaying the words: "Sexy bum that wiggles when ironing" and "Scrummy boobies that make my hands happy." In his defense, those designs were listed under the "naughty section" of the website, which required users to confirm being 18 or older to access, according to Vanity Fair. 

But that didn't prevent news about it from doing the rounds when he launched his erotic-cake line in 2012. It didn't help his case that Kate Middleton had been a member of the royal family for just a year, when interest in her and her past was at its peak. James was disappointed in the criticism he received. "They are clearly intended to be humorous and are clearly not intended to cause any offense, as is quite obvious," he told the Daily Mail.

In fact, he expected more from his countrymen. "The Great British public is renowned throughout the world for its sense of humor, and a cake design is hardly likely to cause it to lose it. We intend to embrace that sense of humour," he added. James' idea for the naughty designs came from the success of personalized cards of the time. "We thought we would add to the excitement of a celebration and bring you personalized cakes," he told the Daily Mail in July 2012.

The Middletons are a tight bunch. Since being thrust into the spotlight thanks to Kate Middleton's relationship with Prince William, they have embraced the royal family's unofficial belief to "never complain, never explain" and stayed largely mum about their family. James Middleton is an exception. While his guest essays in the U.K.'s largest publications have focused on his own life, he has given rare insight into his famous sister's character.

In 2023, he threw a brotherly snark while sharing his pride in Kate's work. "She's my sister, so I know all of her quirks and everything and to see her blossoming in that role... I'm very proud of her," he said on "Good Morning Britain." That wasn't the first time. In 2019, he revealed that his parents and sisters attended therapy sessions when he was being treated for depression. While brave, his revelation offered unique insight into the Middletons' private matters.

"The only thing they could do was just come to some of the therapy sessions to start to understand," he told The Telegraph. And amid the Princess of Wales' cancer journey, he was the only Middleton to make a statement. "Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too," he wrote on Instagram. The remark was so out of character that The Telegraph hypothesized that Kate must have given him the okay to post. Whether that's the case is unclear, but James certainly strays from the norm often enough.

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.