James Middleton, the younger brother of Catherine, Princess of Wales, is sharing how the Middleton family rallied around her after her 2024 cancer diagnosis.
The 38-year-old author told the British publication The Times that the former Kate Middleton’s cancer journey was a “challenging” time for him, his sister, Pippa Middleton, and their parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.
The Middleton family navigated the ordeal together, he said, by doing whatever they could to support Kate.
“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,” said James Middleton.
James Middleton, who was speaking to The Times to promote the new paperback version of his 2024 memoir, “Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life,” added that he did his best to make himself available to Kate, on her terms.
“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.’ And that’s the simplest way of really demonstrating love,” he said.
“You can do it in all these various fancy ways but actually, you know, it is just generally being there,” he added.
Elsewhere in the interview, James Middleton shared how both of his sisters supported him after he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and clinical depression in 2017.
James Middleton treated his mental health condition by undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy and taking antidepressants for a while, the publication noted.
Kate and Pippa Middleton accompanied their brother to a few of his therapy sessions, he said. “Having them there meant that I knew I was surrounded by people that truly understood what I was going through,” he said.
Kate, 43, announced news of her cancer diagnosis in a video posted in March 2024 on her and husband Prince William’s official social media accounts.
She revealed that she was undergoing chemotherapy after tests done after a planned abdominal surgery a few months earlier found cancer present in her body.
The mom of three has not disclosed what kind of cancer she had.
In September 2024, Kate confirmed she’d finished chemotherapy and referred to herself as being “cancer-free.”
Kate followed up in January 2025 by announcing she was in remission.
“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,” she wrote on Instagram.
She said, “My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything. We couldn’t have asked for more. The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
