“It was a challenging time” - Kate Middleton's younger brother opens up about her cancer diagnosis

Kate Middleton’s shocking cancer diagnosis in March 2024 startled the world. In a recent interview with a U.K.-based paper, The Times, her younger brother James opened up about the family’s struggles to deal with the news when it first broke. He admitted the ordeal “was a challenging time" for everyone involved. Thankfully, she announced she was in remission from cancer in January of this year.

Reflecting upon this trying time, James shared his insights,

“What I think is that, as a family, you learn to see and process and understand things. 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 Middleton reveals reaction to Kate’s diagnosis

Later, in the same interview, James went on to add how integral being present as a source of support can truly be.

"Being there for someone is such an important part, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be on your terms, and it shouldn’t be on your terms. It should be on their terms; unconditional: ‘I’m not doing it for something in return. I’m doing it because I love you,’"

James has suffered from clinical depression and was encouraged by his sisters to seek therapy, which he ultimately did in 2017.

“Having them there meant that I knew I was surrounded by people that truly understood what I was going through. I think the biggest challenge was that I had my own stigma about mental health.”

James spoke glowingly of the importance of seeking help at the time, as well as the pivotal role his sisters played in the process. So, when Kate was diagnosed, James was there to face the obstacles ahead in lockstep. It is truly heartwarming to hear about the level of support between the three siblings, whose bond is truly unbreakable.

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James is an entrepreneur and writer. His new memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, focuses on his mental health journey and examines his perception of the challenges of royal life.

The paperback version was released earlier this month, and the eponymous Ella from the title is his cocker spaniel who sadly passed away last year. He adopted Ella at 20 years of age, and she was 15 when she passed.

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