James Middleton makes rare comment about his relationship with sister Kate – and says he ‘knows all her quirks’

James Middleton praised his sister as “blooming” in her role as Princess of Wales – but admitted it can feel strange to him because he “knows all her quirks.”

Kate’s younger brother, 36, said he is “extremely proud” of all the work she does as part of her royal duties.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain – along with his dogs Mabel and Isla – the entrepreneur revealed just how impressive his sibling is.

“She’s my sister,” he explained. “I’m always surprised by how much she does and that always stays at the forefront of my mind…

“But honestly, she’s my sister, so I know all her quirks and stuff.

“And to see her blossom into that role, I really… I’m very proud of her.”

James – who has been open about his struggles with clinical depression – also praised the work young royals – especially his sister and brother-in-law – have done in mental health.

“I think it’s great that they’re in a position where they talk about their own mental health,” he told Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard.

“And I think it’s something that, you know, is a challenge in general and I remember early in my… to say the words out loud that I felt depressed or that I thought I had depression was impossible.

“But actually some of the work they’ve done over time — it gave me the confidence to sort of speak out.

“We all suffer from mental health issues and I think I can talk about it — I felt like I had a responsibility to speak up. Because it was part of my journey to actually get to where I am today, that I’m in control of.

“It’s not gone, I don’t expect it to go away – but I’ve got it under control now.”

James first opened up about his clinical depression – which initially hit him in late 2016 – in the article he wrote for the Daily Mail.

Kate’s younger brother, 36, said he is “extremely proud” of all the work she takes on in her royal duties. Kate pictured earlier this month

James – who has been candid about his struggles with clinical depression – has also praised the work young royals – especially his sister and brother-in-law – have done in mental health. Pictured from left to right: James, Carole, King Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Kate and Princess Charlotte

“I know that I am richly blessed and live a privileged life. But it didn’t make me immune to depression,” he wrote.

‘It is difficult to describe the condition.

It’s not just sadness. It is a disease, a cancer of the mind.

It is not a feeling but an absence of feelings. You exist without purpose or direction. I couldn’t feel joy, excitement, or anticipation – only heart-thumping anxiety pushed me out of bed in the morning. I didn’t actually think about suicide – but I didn’t want to live in the state of mind I was in either.’

James said he “couldn’t communicate” with his loved ones, and their “anxious” texts would become more frequent, but he wouldn’t answer them.

At the very least, he refused to answer his door or phone calls.

He listened to audiobooks, including Stephen Fry’s narration of the Harry Potter series.

In 2017, he was on the verge of closing his company Boomf, because his depression left him “barely functional.”

James has said that his sisters, Pippa and Kate, and their parents were there for him during very difficult times. Pictured during a special Christmas carol service in 2021

At the end of that year, James accepted that he needed help and called his doctor. Holding back a ‘waterfall of emotion’, James managed to tell her, ‘I’m not OK. I need some help.’

He gave his permission for his doctor to speak to his family who had been worried about him for months.

He took time off in January 2019 to learn more about depression and attend therapy as he and his family worked through the complexities of mental illness.

James explained how his sisters, Pippa and Kate, and their parents were there for him during very difficult times, and had the patience to help him even when they couldn’t fully understand what he was going through.

He said: ‘I was very lucky that they were willing to be involved and understood that it’s a process, there’s no quick fix for it.

“And understanding the way my mind works, which may be different from theirs or other people’s, is a really important part, because it was just as much a process for me as it was for them, and I think we grew out of that as a family.”

In speaking out, James said he felt like a weight had been lifted and he often talks openly about his depression in the press and on social media.

James’ black spaniel, Ella, was an important part of his journey, as she accompanied him to all of his therapy sessions. The pair volunteered at the Pets As Therapy charity, with Ella being a trained therapy dog.

James said Ella supported him “from my darkest days to my happiest.”

He currently has four cocker spaniels, Zulu, Inka, Luna and Nala, and a golden retriever named Mabel, who had a litter of eight puppies last summer. Pictured: James and his dog Ella who passed away this year

But at the beginning of this year, James had to say goodbye to Ella, when she passed away at the age of 15 after a short illness.

In an emotional Instagram post to his followers, he wrote: “It is with great sadness that I announce that my dear Ella has passed away.

“Ella has been by my side for 15 years, from my darkest days to my happiest. I’m going to miss her terribly.

‘Ella had a very short illness, she slipped into my arms at home and is now buried next to Tilly in the garden. I took this photo a few hours before she died

“I’m about to put this together to write this, and despite knowing this day was coming, it doesn’t make it any easier.

“Goodnight my dear Ella, Alizee and the dogs will take good care of me.”

Therapy dog ​​Ella didn’t just help him through the rough times — she even introduced him to his wife, Alizée.