ROYALSKate Middleton's Mental Health Advocacy Work Was a 'Good Catalyst' for James Middleton to Publicly Discuss His Depression
Kate Middleton is a vocal advocate for mental health.
Kate Middleton's brother, James Middleton, is opening up about how the Princess of Wales' mental health advocacy work helped him on his own wellness journey.
James Middleton has been open about dealing with depression.
"When I first publicly spoke about my depression, they were launching their Heads Together charity and that was great for me to learn and understand and have a platform," James told an outlet. "But it made me feel confident enough and supportive enough in what they were speaking about in what I felt."
"As I've said, I didn't believe I was allowed to have mental health or depression and that work was a good catalyst for me to want to speak out because I can't ever avoid or hide away from who my sister is, I will always be her brother," he admitted.
James Middleton wrote a book about his mental health struggles.
James is opening up about his challenges while promoting his new book, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, which discusses how his beloved pet positively impacted his well-being.
"I have always had the desire to want to write more about my depression and my experiences with it — and whether it was published or not, it wasn't necessarily the outcome," he said.
"When Ella passed, we found out very shortly after that my wife was pregnant with our son, Inigo," the Cake Kit Company founder added of his late pooch. "And in a way of processing the grief and the other reason for it was so Inigo could meet Ella because I wanted him to understand who this dog was and what an important role she played in his existence."
The Middleton family continues to support James Middleton
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While discussing the impact his royal sibling had on him, James was honest about the Middleton clan being a tightly-knit unit.
"I think as a family, we are a close family and through the experiences of my mental health and challenges we've faced over the years, we've learned to be a support for each other and that comes in different shapes and forms," he revealed. "I think we are very much in that supportive place for each other, which I recognize we are really lucky to have as not all families have it."
"They all [his family] read the book a while ago. I think they are delighted for me to be able to share my story," James stated.
Kate Middleton is a caring older sister.
James' family was aware of how important Ella was to him.
"They all recognize the role that Ella played in my life and they know that it is a huge tribute to such a wonderful dog and are continuing to be supportive, especially speaking out on what is a challenging subject," James said. "I think they see the greater good in which this story can go on to have."
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James spoke to The Mirror.
