James Middleton, the youngest brother of the Princess of Wales, has paid tribute to his sisters and mothers in a candid and heartfelt chat about family life, his new book, and his mental health
James Middleton, the youngest of the three Middleton siblings, has opened up about how deep their family ties run, and paid tribute to the resilience and strength of his sisters and mother. The father of one, 38, is currently celebrating the release of his paperback version of his new memoir, and as he recalls some of his most difficult periods he reveals he is eternally grateful to the lessons he’s learned from sisters Kate and Pippa Matthews, and their mum Carole Middleton.
“I’m incredibly fortunate to have my two sisters, Catherine and Pippa, not just as siblings, but as friends,” he told OK! in an exclusive interview. “They’ve seen me at my best and at my lowest, and they’ve always been there when I’ve needed them most.”
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He continues, “Sibling love is something unique, you can’t choose your siblings, it can be complicated, it takes work, but when it’s strong, I believe it’s one of the most powerful bonds there is.”
James says his older sisters played a huge role in shaping the person he is today, and taught him lifelong lessons about vulnerability, resilience and emotional intelligence. The three grew up in Berkshire with their business owner mother Carole, 70, and former British Airways manager Michael, 75.
Kate is now, of course, a mother of three and married to Prince William, while sister Pippa is married to James Matthews, and two also share three children.
The Middleton trio were “infinitely fortunate” to grow up in a house full of love and laughter, James reveals, but his family also taught him some essential life lessons which have helped him in hard times.
“They’ve always been emotionally open, expressive, and in tune with the people around them, and I think being surrounded by that kind of emotional intelligence rubbed off on me, even if I didn’t fully realise it at the time,” he shares.
“Looking back, I think it gave me permission, in a way, to feel things more deeply and to name those feelings when they came up. That doesn’t mean I always found it easy in fact, like a lot of men, I struggled with expressing how I was really doing, especially when I was at my lowest.”
“But having strong women around me who led with compassion and honesty definitely helped me learn that vulnerability wasn’t weakness it was strength,” he continues.
“It probably laid the groundwork for me being able to open up later on, whether in therapy, writing the book, or just in honest conversations with the people I love. And for that, I’m incredibly grateful.”
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