Five Biggest Revelations From Princess Kate's Brother's Memoir, So Far

Princess Kate's younger brother, James Middleton, has written a compelling memoir outlining the highs and lows he has faced throughout his adult life, including details of his run ins with the royals and battle with depression, which will be released in the U.S. on September 26.

Middleton entered the spotlight after his sister's 2011 wedding to Prince William , as he performed a bible reading during the ceremony which was watched by an estimated global audience of over 1 billion people.

In recent years, Middleton has opened up about his journey to being diagnosed with clinical depression, becoming an advocate for mental health support and also a champion for animal welfare.

The memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, is dedicated to his late spaniel who he credits with offering a lifeline when he was at his lowest point.

Extracts from the book have been published by the Daily Mail in Britain.

Here, Newsweek looks at five of the biggest revelations from James Middleton's soon-to-be-released memoir , so far.

Royal Wedding Nerves

In his memoir Middleton has discussed in-depth for the first time the events surrounding his sister's royal wedding, including his nervousness after being asked to do a Bible reading during the ceremony.

"I remember walking into the Abbey – awestruck all over again by the grandeur and magnificence of it. Then, far sooner than I expected, there was my cue," he wrote of the milestone moment, describing how he had undertaken public speaking lessons with a friend and had written prompts down on a paper copy of his speech to aid him.

"I walked up steadily to the lectern and stood, poised to begin. But where was my scruffy piece of paper? I couldn't see it. Had it been thrown away? Panic almost overwhelmed me," he said.

"Then I turned the page of the Bible in front of me, and there it was. Someone, obviously thinking it lowered the tone, had concealed it. Relief washed over me. I waited until the great Abbey fell silent. Ten, perhaps even 15 seconds. Then I counted slowly to four and all that could possibly go wrong flooded into my mind. Were my flies undone? Would I have a coughing fit? Would my voice squeak or wobble?

"I didn't cast a glance at Catherine and William, not wanting to exchange smiles with them in case I erupted into nervous giggles. I wanted to do them both proud."

Middleton's speech went without issue and he was widely praised for his composure under pressure.

Queen Filled 'Granny-Sized Void'

In addition to giving readers a highly personal insight into his own life, Middleton has also provided a glimpse at life behind palace walls with members of the royal family.

He likens Queen Elizabeth II to one of his own grandparents, praising her warmth and understanding.

"One year the Queen and I sat down to do a jigsaw puzzle," he wrote of Christmases spent at the monarch's country estate, Sandringham in Norfolk, England. "It was the sort of activity I'd have enjoyed with my own grandparents, all four of whom had died in the space of three years when I was a teenager. So in a way, I felt the Queen was filling a granny-sized void in my life.

"And there we were, engaged in this everyday pleasure, which was elevated to the extraordinary by the company I was in. It still feels surreal, the fact that I was there with the Queen: I look back on it with amazement."

Writing of the late queen's skill, he said she frequently bested his efforts to keep up.

"She frequently put down five pieces to my one," he said. "Deft-fingered while I was inept, scanning the board with practiced eyes, not even stopping when people came to talk to her, but still ­chatting as she slotted in the pieces. I hoped she wouldn't notice how little I contributed."

Suicidal Thoughts

The main focus of Middleton's book is his struggle to reach a point of understanding regarding his mental health and how his dog, a spaniel named Ella, provided him with the love, support and motivation to seek professional help.

In a distressing section of an extract published by the Daily Mail, he recalled an evening where in a moment of desperation he considered throwing himself off the roof of his London apartment.

"I pace up and down, but there is no reprieve from the torment in my mind," he wrote. "Dark thoughts crowd in on me. What can I do to make them stop? I think about jumping from the rooftop. Who would find me? A passing taxi-driver? A neighbor?

"I wonder, if I jump, could it possibly be construed as a tragic accident? That way my family, although they would grieve desperately, would be spared the added torture of ­knowing that I had ended my life by suicide."

After a personal journey of discovery regarding his mental health, Middleton revealed that he sought the help of medical and mental health professionals leading to a diagnosis with clinical depression and attention deficit disorder.

Family Therapy Session

In another memoir extract, Middleton discussed the role his sisters, Princess Kate and Pippa Matthews, played in his mental health journey. In it he revealed for the first time, details of an intimate therapy session where they learned the extent of his struggles.

"Catherine and Pippa come on board, and they understand," he wrote. "This is the first time they have become aware of the extent of my struggles and the fact that they are here with me, wanting so much to help me, makes me cry.

"I did not tell even Dr Pereira how closely my thoughts had wandered towards suicide. It is he who, with my ­consent, now talks to my sisters, simply because I find it so hard to articulate what has been going on in my mind.

"They listen and learn. Catherine has already done a lot of work through her mental health ­initiative Heads Together, and she asks Dr Pereira some pertinent questions. She understands so much. I'm overwhelmed."

'Giggling' George and Charlotte

In a lighthearted moment, Middleton also revealed the reactions of his nephew and niece, Prince George and Princess Charlotte , when they were first introduced to his now wife , French finance professional, Alizee Thevenet.

While they were dating, Middleton decided on a whim to stay with Thevenet at his parents' home in Buckinghamshire after attending a wedding. He wrote that the pair arrived late at night and went straight to bed, not knowing that Princess Kate, Prince William and their three children were also house guests.

A potentially awkward scene was avoided in the morning when Thevenet walked into the kitchen wearing Middleton's button down shirt to unexpectedly be confronted with the future king and queen of England.

The group, Middleton revealed, were quickly introduced and got on well.

"We're soon all chatting and the children are asking all kinds of cheeky questions at 100 miles per hour," he wrote of George and Charlotte.

"'How come we weren't there when they went to bed? And who is this lady? Is she your girlfriend?' (Cue giggles from both of them.)

"So I tell Charlotte and George, yes, she is my girlfriend and introduce her to them, then we are all talking and laughing as if she has been part of the family for years."

Middleton and Thevenet married in France in 2021 and together they have one child, Inigo, who was born in 2023.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org .

"Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life" by James Middleton is published in the United States by Pegasus Books and released on September 26.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter ) at and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.