ROYALSKate Middleton's Cancer Diagnosis 'Was a Challenging Time' for the Royal Family, Her Younger Brother James Reveals
Kate Middleton's brother, James, gave an inside look at her cancer journey.
May 12 2025, Published 11:38 a.m. ET
Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis shook the royal family.
The Princess of Wales' brother, James, just opened up about what it was like to watch his sibling endure such a tumultuous time while in the public eye.
Kate Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis in March 2024.
"What I think is that, as a family, you learn to see and process and understand things," he told an outlet on Monday, May 12. "For her and her family, it was a challenging time, and I know for us and our bigger family, it was a challenging time, but I think it’s about communication and it’s about offering support and help where you can."
James emphasized the importance of "being there for someone" unconditionally and on "their terms" when they are in need.
"I’m not doing it for something in return. I’m doing it because I love you," the author of Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life expressed. "And that’s the simplest way of really demonstrating love. You can do it in all these various fancy ways, but actually, you know, it is just generally being there."
James Middleton's Mental Health Battle
James Middleton nearly ended his life.
The British entrepreneur has experienced his own share of health struggles, as he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and clinical depression in 2017.
"I think at the time I was spiraling out of control," he revealed. "It was only once I was diagnosed that I came to terms with the fact that I could have depression and needed to make sure I was present for myself. I needed to re-find who I was. I knew that the kinds of thoughts I was having were not me. I wasn’t being myself. I’d lost who James was."
- Cancer-Free Kate Middleton Makes Rare Comment About Her Health During Royal Christmas Walk: 'I'm Hugely Grateful'
- Kate Middleton Makes Rare Comment About Her Cancer Diagnosis at Annual Christmas Concert: 'I Didn't Know This Year Was Going to Be Like This'
- Sarah Ferguson Admits She Is 'Not Out of the Woods Yet' After Being Diagnosed With Cancer for the Second Time in a Year
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
James Middleton suffered from depression.
At the time, he grappled with how to present himself to his friends. Now, he's opening up about his mental health for an audience of millions. In Meet Ella, which was just published in paperback in the U.K., he recounts the moment he considered jumping off a roof to end his life in November 2017. Seeing his dog's eyes at the bottom saved him.
"There are reasons to be alive, and not wanting anyone to suffer from what I might do was a major one," he recalled. "I imagined what it would be like for Ella, how unfair it would have been for her, and then that extended to my whole family and my friends. All I would have done was transfer my pain onto other people."
Kate Middleton's Cancer Diagnosis
Kate Middleton has given regular updates about the status of her cancer.
Kate announced her cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment in March 2024 through a video shared by Kensington Palace. She finished chemo in September 2024 before announcing she was in remission in January.
"It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery," she wrote in a January 14 Instagram post. "As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support. C."
