08 March 2024 , 10:13
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The brother of the Princess of Wales is set to release a memoir which has been billed as 'tender' and 'sometimes devastating'.
It has been announced today that James Middleton, Kate's younger brother, will see his book Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, hit shelves in September this year. The dad-of-one is known as a devoted dog lover and the book will tell the story of his first dog Ella and how she guided him through some of the toughest periods of his life as he battled depression and happier times, such as meeting his future wife Alizee.
James with his older sister Kate (UK Press via Getty Images)
James with his pet dogs (Chris Terry)James was just 20 when Ella became his pet. Publisher Octopus says: "Ella and James formed an unbreakable bond and went everywhere together, from Scottish mountainsides to royal weddings. In a romantic gesture, Ella helped James introduce himself to his future wife, Alizee, a fellow dog lover.
"But James and Ell'’s connection runs much deeper than that. Threaded through this life-affirming story of one man’s love for his dog is an honest account of James’s battle with clinical depression. "During his most difficult times, Ella was the most devoted of friends, who loved James unconditionally, read his moods, and knew just when and how to intervene to help him. Ella was even the reason that James went to therapy."
And James added: "Ella was so much more than just a dog – she was part of me, a true companion, my closest confidante, and very often my therapist. My life would not have been the same without her and I wanted to commemorate her and the way that she helped me reconnect with the world at a time when I felt lost.
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James is a known dog-lover (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)"I know that many other people will have had their own Ellas, or are perhaps in need of one right now, so I hope that this book will also help us to talk more openly about our mental health, our need for connection, and the way in which the animals that we think we are taking care of are always looking after us in return." The book will be published on September 26, 2024.
News of James' memoir comes as his older sister Kate continues to recuperate following abdominal surgery at the beginning of the year. In the past week, there has been huge speculation on social media about the state of Kate’s health.
At the same time, James and Kate's uncle Gary Goldsmith has been appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, where he talked about the speculation. During Wednesday's episode of Celebrity Big Brother, Love Island winner Ekin-Su Culculoglu asked Goldsmith: "Where's Kate?"
He replied: "Because she doesn’t want to talk about… the last thing I'm going to do is… there's a kind of code of etiquette. If it's announced, I'll give you an opinion. I spoke to her mum, my sister, she's getting the best care in the world.
"And all the family's done is put the wagons round and look after family first before anything else. They put a statement out and just said, 'She's taking some time to (recuperate) and will see you in Easter'. Ekin-Su asked: "I've heard mixed things about Kate and I don't want to make a comment, but whatever it is, do you want her to come back?" to which he replied: "She'll be back, of course she will."