In 2019, James Middleton discussed his mental health journey publicly for the first time. It wasn’t a decision his parents supported, buthe went ahead and penned an essay for the Daily Mail about his depression diagnosis anyway. His biggest motivator was Kate Middleton and Prince William’s work in promoting mental health. “I feel compelled to talk about it openly because this is precisely what my brother-in-law Prince William, my sister Catherine and Prince Harry are advocating,” James wrote.
William, as it turns out, admires James just as much. “He’s highly thought of,” royal historian Gareth Russell told GB News in April. As is the case in his relationship with Pippa Middleton, the Prince of Wales appreciates that James and the Middletons will protect his family’s privacy. “All the evidence we have suggests a very loving and close relationship with the family,” Russell said. And William knows he can count on James for more practical reasons, too.
Amid Kate’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, James cleared his schedule so he could be available at a moment’s notice while Kate recovered in their Windsor home, which is just about 30 miles from James’ mansion in Berkshire, the Daily Mail reported. William has also supported his brother-in-law. In 2021, William attended James’ wedding but ensured to stay in the background. “Prince William and Kate were there but they did not want to steal the show from the newlyweds,” officiant François Arizzi told People.
