James Middleton has revealed that Prince William made ‘excuses’ to get out of games night because he thought the family was ‘too competitive’.
Kate’s brother, 37, who lives in Berkshire, was about 13 when his sister and the Prince of Wales first started dating.
The future king often dropped by for dinner parties, but it seems no family celebration was complete for the Middletons without a game of cards.
James said his brood are big fans of racing demons, which is often described as a competitive form of Patience or Solitaire. However, when the deck of cards landed on the table, William reportedly often got the itch to run other errands.
James made the revelation on the Walking the dog podcast with author and animal lover Emily Dean.
James Middleton has revealed that Prince William made ‘excuses’ to get out of games night because he thought the family was ‘too competitive’. The Middletons pictured with William and Kate in 2016
She said: “The Middletons are quite competitive and love a game, aren’t they?
“And then you let poor William play, and he thought it was too competitive and even apologized.”
James replied, “It was after family dinner, we were sitting there and the cards came out, and [he would] maybe see if Ella needed a walk or make an excuse to leave the table.
‘RaCing Demon is probably the fastest and most competitive we all play together.”
James further explained William’s clumsiness at family gatherings in Middleton in his book Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.
He wrote: ‘Ella cares [William] a good excuse to escape the fiercely competitive nature of the Middleton family, which comes to the fore every time we play our favorite fast-paced card game, the Racing Demon.
“William cringes at our ruthless determination to win at all costs. He is happy to be the first to go out, and when he is no longer obliged to participate, he sneaks off to hug Ella.
‘I think he would rather withdraw from the match altogether. “James, does Ella need a walk?” he asks before we’ve even started dealing the cards.
Royal fans caught a glimpse of the family’s playing cards during Kate’s emotional video as she announced the end of her chemotherapy
James further explained William’s clumsiness at family gatherings in Middleton in his book Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life. William pictured at Ascot with Carole in June
It’s no secret that Middleton has ambitious blood running through his veins, as Pippa and Kate enjoyed beating their opponents at school sporting events (pictured in 2012 during the Wimbledon final)
“My sisters and I exchange a knowing look: William, despite the competitive rigor of his military training, is happy to be a loser at cards.”
And it seems the clan has enjoyed the game for generations, as the father-of-one said his paternal grandmother would ‘beat’ them at it even into their 80s.
James said: ‘She was able to reach across the table and lay down her cards and while we were still sorting out our cards, she almost used up her deck.’
It’s no secret that Middleton has ambitious blood running through his veins, as Pippa and Kate enjoyed beating their opponents in school sporting events.
They were both on the hockey team as teenagers, although the Princess of Wales was team captain during her years at Marlborough College in Wiltshire.
And her sporting prowess also meant she was a star tennis player, a keen netball player and beat the boys in the high jump.
Royal fans caught a glimpse of the family’s playing cards during Kate’s emotional video, in which she announced the end of her chemotherapy after a tough year of battling cancer.
In one scene we see Carole and Michael playing cards with Kate, William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
James, pictured, lives in Berkshire with his wife Alizée, their one-year-old son Inigo and their six dogs
In the heartwarming video, Kate’s mother is seen laughing alongside her grandchildren as they all jumped to the table and passed their family pastime on to the next generation.
Earlier this week, James revealed how his son is in love with his sisters’ children, Kate and Pippa.
The 37-year-old, who lives in Berkshire with his wife Alizée, their one-year-old son Inigo and their six dogs, wrote about his typical weekend in the My Saturday section of The Telegraph.
James – who lives close to his older siblings – said he usually visits his parents for tea around 4pm.
The Princess of Wales’ brother told how Inigo’s six cousins care for his young toddler when they are together at family events.
Kate and William share Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six – while Pippa has Arthur, five, Grace, three, and Rose, one, with husband James Matthews.
“My sisters and I are all within a 30-minute drive, so an aunt or cousin often comes over,” he told the outlet.
‘The cousins all play their part in caring for Inigo – there are currently seven in total.
The Middletons have had a tough nine months after Kate was taken to hospital for surgery in January and revealed she had cancer in March. William and Kate pictured with their children
James and Alizee married in September 2021 in the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas on the Côte d’Azur and welcomed Inigo last year
‘I think they’re all in awe of the mess Inigo can cause. But there’s a lot of laughing and giggling.”
James said that during his battle with depression, which has been openly discussed in recent years, he “recognized the importance of family.”
“I think every challenge a family goes through is one that brings them together,” he added.
The Middletons have had a tough nine months after Kate was taken to hospital for surgery in January and revealed she had cancer in March.
But the future queen announced last month that she has “completed her chemotherapy treatment” and is doing what she can to “stay cancer-free.”
Elsewhere in his column, James said he starts the morning with eggs for breakfast while the radio plays, while Inigo likes to listen to Bob Marley.
He said Alizée is currently teaching their son to speak French, and mainly talks to her son in the language so he can pick it up.
James admitted that he has to learn “a lot of words quite quickly” to catch up.
Pippa Middleton is pictured with her husband, James Matthews (left) and her brother, James Middleton (right) in 2018
Alizée’s French culture also means that they have a whole board of just cheeses at home and that they always grab a cheese board before eating dessert.
James and Alizee married in the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas on the Côte d’Azur in September 2021 and welcomed Inigo last year.
James also revealed that he and Alizée spent their evenings re-watching Outnumbered, which he found even funnier since becoming a father to Inigo.
Speaking about having another child, he said: ‘We would love to expand the family, but that’s never easy.’
James also recently revealed that Inigo was wearing hand-me-down clothes donated by Kate from her and William’s children.
Brands Kate is known to love for her children include Boden, Ralph Lauren and British label Amaia – meaning Inigo will be fashionably dressed from a very young age.
In an interview with HELLO! MagazineJames said his sister Pippa also lent him some hand-me-downs.
‘They are milestones, because [my sisters] remembering when their child wore something, and how old they were – it takes them back,” he said. “It’s been a beautiful thing for them.
‘He’s lucky that he has older cousins who can now pick him up and show him things, and as he gets older they’ll be able to look after him. There’s definitely an element of curiosity in it [about] a baby they have.”
And of his two sisters, he said, “It was amazing to see them become mothers and be so devoted and strong. I’m in awe of that.’