James Middleton reveals the sweet surprise he received from his sister Kate and Prince William ahead of his wedding

James Middleton has recalled the sweet story of how his older sister, Kate, and her husband Prince William, surprised him ahead of his wedding day.

James Middleton, 37, who lives in Berkshire, opened up about a heartwarming gesture from Kate, who surprised him and his wife Alizée by attending their pre wedding meal in 2021.

The younger brother of Kate Middleton shared the touching details in his new memoir titled Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, where he doted on his family and touched on the meanings behind his son’s first name, Inigo.

James, who recently spoke on supporting his older sister through her cancer diagnosis, also wrote in his memoir of the occasion when Kate and William attended his pre wedding meal, as reported by Hello!.

He said: ‘To our huge surprise and delight, however, they [the Prince and Princess of Wales] arrive on Friday evening, earlier than planned, to join in the pre-wedding meal.’

He continued: ‘We want them to be able to relax without fear of intrusion, and it is challenging because the restaurant where we eat is quite exposed. But – thanks in part to our low-key, last-minute plans – no paparazzi find us.’

He told Hello! at the time: ‘It was wonderful to finally celebrate with family and friends despite the challenges of a global pandemic, but we were relaxed and knew the day would eventually come.’

During the promotion for his book, James said in interview with Hello! Magazine, that the Middletons are a very ‘close’ family.

Reflecting on how they have supported Kate through her cancer diagnosis earlier this year, he said: ‘We are certainly a close family that goes through things together.

‘That was the experience I had through my challenges, and I certainly feel like it’s something that her [Catherine’s] family and our family are doing too.’

He added: ‘I know how much the dogs, for me, have helped in taking your mind off something. So I’m certain that for them, Orla is doing her job in supporting her family.’

James and Alizee tied the knot in the Côte d’Azur village of Bormes-les-Mimosas in September 2021 and welcomed Inigo last year.

Kate’s brother released a new memoir Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life on September 26.

Just how close James is with Kate is shown in the future Queen’s cancer recovery video earlier this month, which showed an intimate portrayal of the royals like never before.

The clip featured Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, who were seen playing cards with Kate, William, and their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis at their Norfolk Home, Anmer Hall.

Both Kate and William are famously close to the rest of the Middleton family so the appearance of the Middletons in Kate’s most intimate video to date came as little surprise.

Sat around a dining room table, they were filmed playing a card game with their three excited grandchildren and William and Kate in what made for a very light-hearted moment.

The game was sweetly competitive as everyone raced to be the first to put their cards in the middle of the table.

Kate’s parents are said to have spent months at her side, with Carol reportedly supporting her daughter through her cancer treatment at her home in Windsor.

Reflecting further on how their family has supported Kate through her cancer diagnosis earlier this year, he said: ‘We are certainly a close family that goes through things together.

‘That was the experience I had through my challenges, and I certainly feel like it’s something that her [Catherine’s] family and our family are doing too.’

He added: ‘I know how much the dogs, for me, have helped in taking your mind off something. So I’m certain that for them, Orla is doing her job in supporting her family.’

The Waleses family dog Orla was gift from James, and the relative of his beloved dog Ella.

In May 2020, James set up a raw dog food company called Ella & Co named after his beloved dog.

Last January, James announced that Ella had sadly passed away at the age of 15 and said in a touching Instagram post how his beloved dog had supported him ‘from my darkest days to my happiest’.

He wrote: ‘Ella had a very short illness, she slipped away in my arms at home and is now buried in the garden alongside Tilly. I took this picture just a few hours before she died

‘I’m just about holding it together to write this, and despite the fact I knew this day was coming, it doesn’t make it any easier.

‘Goodnight my darling Ella, Alizee and the dogs will take good care of me.’