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Princess Kate's brother, James Middleton, confides about his mental health struggles and how his sister and Prince William's ongoing mental health advocacy helped him better understand his deep depression.

In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, recently published in the Daily Mail, James Middleton discussed a period in his life when he was suffering from deep depression.

“I feel misunderstood. I wouldn't wish a sense of worthlessness, hopelessness, loneliness, and isolation on my worst enemy. I'm driving myself crazy,” James Middleton wrote.

“Yet, I know I am privileged. I am fortunate to have a loving, tight-knit family (my mother and father, my sisters Princess Catherine and Pippa, and my husbands William and James), but I keep them all away,” he explains. 'They don't answer the phone. Emails remain ignored. Invitations to visit are ignored. I hide behind double-locked doors and cannot be reached.”

James further said that the moment he considered taking his own life, he locked eyes with his dog, who saved his life.

Princess Kate's brother also detailed various other struggles with depression, including the days, weeks, and months following the end of his relationship with Donna Air in 2017.

“I am grateful to Princess Catherine and William for their invaluable knowledge and understanding in the field of mental health,” Middleton wrote. My parents rely on them and Pippa to break the impenetrable barrier of my silence.”

“Sometimes they break through,” he continues. My sisters sometimes gently coax me out of the apartment.”

In a particularly poignant excerpt, James Middleton also touches on the stigma that still haunts depression, especially if one is wealthy and by all accounts privileged.

“I have read about depression, but I don't acknowledge the possibility that I am depressed. Is it possible that I could be depressed? The idea that I have a mental health issue never crossed my mind.”

In 2023, Prince William and Princess Kate spent time with the Open Door Charity to promote ongoing awareness and support for young people and their mental health needs. [25] Lee Pennington, founder and director of the Open Door Charity, told People magazine at the time. [25][26] “And what came through loud and clear,” he continued, “is that they care about and value the same things in the world as the people involved in this organization. They care deeply about, 'How can we make this work better?' 'How can we create the best possible support for people in the biggest health need of our time, the mental health needs of young people? But when you boil it down, they care about the same things we do.”