The Princess of Wales has a very close bond with her younger brother, James Middleton, and the sibling pair live just a stone’s throw away from each other. While the future Queen is set to relocate to her new home, Forest Lodge, with Prince William and their three children in Windsor Great Park, James has settled down with his wife, Alizee, and their son, Inigo, in a stunning £1.45 million country home in the village of St. James.
On Friday, the doting dad took to the Instagram account of his business, Ell&Co and shared a video of his adorable family dog Inka enjoying a snack, the brand’s pumpkin puree, in their sprawling family garden. “As you can tell, Inka couldn’t get enough of it! Why not give it a go yourself and let me know what your dogs think!” James wrote in the caption.
James’ special bod with his dogs
As well as being the proud dad of his son, James is a dog dad of Zulu, Inka, Luna, Mabel, Nala and Isla, a role which is incredibly important to the 38-year-old. James’ affinity with dogs, began during a darker period of his life when he was struggling with depression.
To help him cope, James welcomed his dog Ella, who sadly passed away in January 2023. The impact Ella had on James was remarkable, and her loss was incredibly difficult. However, Ella has had a lasting impact on James and her family, and is at the heart of James’ first book: Ella: The Dog Who Changed My Life, which was released shortly after her death.
© InstagramJames is a proud dog dad
James previously said of his beloved pooch: “I credit Ella to saving my life when I was eclipsed with Clinical depression, she introduced me to my wife, gave me purpose and loved me unconditionally. I know many of you have your own Ella’s or might be in need of one now and I hope this book will also help us to talk more openly about our mental health, our need for connection, and the way in which the animals that we think we are taking care are always looking after us in return.”
James even commemorated Ella’s life with a stone head that now features in his garden. Upon his son’s arrival in 2022, James shared an adorable photo of his new son holding a locket containing a photo of Ella.
© InstagramJames made sure his baby was close to his beloved dog Ella
“We have settled into our new life as parents and I’ve told him all about Ella and that if it wasn’t for her he wouldn’t be here today and that we miss her greatly. The dogs have been fantastic at welcoming their little brother into the pack (although Inka needs to know the teddy bears are not all for her…),” James wrote upon his son’s arrival.