Kate Middleton’s Brother James Reveals His First Impressions of Prince William and the Moment He Knew He Was ‘Perfect’ for Her

The princess’s brother makes the revelations in his upcoming memoir, “Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life,” which will be released September 24.

James Middleton is reflecting on some of his earliest memories of Prince William — from his love for James’ dog, Ella, to learning that the royal was “perfect” for his sister Kate Middleton.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Lifewhich was published by The Daily Mail On September 14, the Princess of Wales’ 37-year-old brother recalled the early stages of William’s relationship with his brother.

After recounting how he met his beloved dog and namesake for his book at university, James wrote that he brought the eight-week-old pup back to his family home in Berkshire, where the royal couple were staying at the time. As he wrote, Prince William, 42, was already “an integral part of our lives” and “a welcome member of the clan.” James said William had also taken a liking to Ella.

“I didn’t tell her or Catherine about Ella. They know I have a puppy, but they don’t realize that she’s coming,” James wrote. “So I let Ella announce herself, stood her on the doorstep and let her make her entrance. She ran into the kitchen to introduce herself to Catherine and William.”

Prince William then smiled and told James he “thought you looked a bit embarrassed about something when you phoned”, before James confirmed: “She’s mine”.

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Related: James Middleton says he ‘pushed away’ his family during dark period when he nearly committed suicide

By early 2010, six years into the royal couple’s relationship, James was spending more time in London with his sisters and Ella, and he was also able to spend time with Prince William. “But I remember testing him when we first met,” James wrote. “Did he deserve my sister? He had to earn my trust.”

“Of course it helped that William was so genuinely attached to Ella. When he first met her as a puppy in Bucklebury, he was smitten with her. He had had a black labrador, Widgeon, when he was a puppy, and when Widgeon died he left a void. I could sense that William wanted a dog when Ella was around,” he continued.

For Prince William, James writes, Ella was “a good excuse to escape the fiercely competitive nature of the Middleton family” — especially when they played the card game Racing Demon.

“William would jump at our ruthless determination to win at all costs,” James writes. “He delighted in being the first out, and when he was no longer required to participate, he would slip away to cuddle Ella. Better still, he would absent himself from the game altogether. ‘James, does Ella need a walk?’ he would ask before we had even started dealing the cards.”

“My sisters and I exchanged a knowing look: William, for all the competitive rigor of his military training, was happy to be a loser at cards,” he added.

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In an additional excerpt from Meet EllaJames recalls the “tremendous buzz around the country” around rumours that his sister had gotten engaged years later. He and his family found out a day before the news went public in 2010, when the Princess of Wales told him as they sat “in a corner, having a quiet chat” in a pub near Bucklebury.

“William has been a part of our lives for so long and we have grown very attached to him. He is like a big brother to us and he and Catherine are clearly meant to be together,” James wrote. “As we digest the news, I know I have yet to feel the love they feel for each other. But I hope one day I will.”

“There, on the first page (of the Standard Evening “In the days that followed, there was a picture of Catherine in her blue dress,” James continued. “I tucked a copy under my arm and went home feeling that it was all quite surreal.”

Noting that William was “lucky” to “marry my capable, down-to-earth older sister,” James added that he felt “absolutely reassured” that they were in love. “It was beautiful to see how he brought out his confidence,” he wrote. “She had blossomed. I knew he would take care of her, and he still does to this day.”

Related: James Middleton’s Honest Reaction to His Role at Kate and William’s Wedding: ‘What Were They Thinking?’

James’ upcoming memoir is set to be published in the US on September 24 and follows the death of his dog Ella in January 2023 after a “short illness”.

He announced the book on Instagram in March, saying Tatler that his dog was there for “many important moments in my life”, including when he met his wife Alizée Thévenet.

James has revealed he wants to write his memoirs so he can tell their son how he met Thevenet. The couple, who have six other dogs, have announced that baby Inigo will be born in October 2023.

“I hope that by writing this book I can help other people talk about their mental health, whether their struggles are in the past or they’re going through something right now,” James later said. Tatlerreferring to how the dog was there for him when he hit his “lowest.”

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