Princess Kate, Prince William supported James Middleton in 'most emotional phase'

Princess Kate and Prince William attended an "extensive memorial service" alongside James Middleton. 

James, who recently authored a book called Meet Ella, has shared how the passing of his dog in 2023 affected him and his family.

The 37-year-old said: “Saying goodbye to Ella was not just saying goodbye to her as a dog.

“It was everything I’d been through with her. She had arrived just as I was starting out in my twenties and she was leaving as I’d finally figured things out in my mid-thirties.

“She put me on the right path and I didn’t want another day from her. I didn’t want another hour. I would have loved it but I didn’t need it.

“She was sent to me before I even knew I needed her, but she chose me.”

James continued to tell The Times: “She was able to transform my life better than any human could have done and then she put me in the capable hands of someone and together we’re now raising our own family.”

He also admitted that after Ella died, his older sister Princess Kate and her husband, Prince William, attended the dog's memorial service.

The outlet reported: “Just asking Middleton about the death of Ella, early one Saturday in January 2023, makes him emotional.

“Despite being given two weeks to live the previous September, she had made it through Christmas, perhaps buoyed by the thought of one final week in the Alps.

“Of course, Middleton was with her when she took her last breath at 3am.

“The whole family, including William and Catherine, gathered in his parents’ garden for what sounds like an extensive memorial on the Sunday.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales play a significant role in James's new book. He recounted how both Kate and his sister Pippa were extremely supportive after he received a diagnosis of clinical depression. 

James also mentioned that his sisters took the initiative to explain his mental health challenges to their parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.