Amidst Princess Kate’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith, appearing (read: incessantly running his mouth) on Celebrity Big Brother U.K.—juxtaposed, simultaneously, with Kate and the royal family’s near radio silence on her health condition—news has broken that Kate’s younger brother, James Middleton, is releasing a “tender” and “sometimes devastating” memoir later this year.
But it’s not what you think. The fiercely private Middleton family, comprised of parents Carole and Michael and siblings Kate, Pippa, and James, have long protected the Princess of Wales’ privacy, including now as she recovers from surgery in January. James’ memoir will be less about him and more about his relationship with his beloved late dog, Ella, who died in January 2023. The book is called Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, and it’s due in September. Ella was James’ first dog—they met when James was 20 years old—and, according to The Mirror, will detail “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 and Alizee welcomed their first child, son Inigo, last fall.)
“Ella and James formed an unbreakable bond and went everywhere together, from Scottish mountainsides to royal weddings,” James’ publisher Octopus wrote. “In a romantic gesture, Ella helped James introduce himself to his future wife, Alizee, a fellow dog lover. But James and Ella’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’ 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.”
Of Ella, James said “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.”
He added, “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.”
Meet Ella is due out on September 26.
