Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life by James Middleton

[HRHHermione]

I have been reading James Middleton’s new book, which is primarily about his life with his dog, Ella, but which has some fascinating details about the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

So far, I’ve quite liked reading about how hard James had to practice to give his reading at their wedding because of his dyslexia and how frightened he was. He made a heroic effort to get it right, and Ella was with him in Westminster Abbey for the rehearsal and at the Goring Hotel with him and the family for the duration of the wedding, which is very sweet. I thought I’d make a post for others reading it and to share more details like this as they come up.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I have a soft spot for James Middleton who comes across as so vulnerable imo. And despite his trepidation he read clearly and beautifully in Westminster Abbey. I remember a lot of people online were very impressed.

Please do post excerpts/insights from the book if you are so inclined...I would love to read them.

I am always rooting for James.

 

[HRHHermione]

Oh, this is nice too- apparently the late Queen hosted a birthday party for Catherine at Sandringham and allowed James to bring Ella, and was very kind to her- which makes sense given her noted love of dogs. Ella seems to have made herself at home at quite a few royal residences including Highgrove.

So far, I’m really appreciating the tone of this. It manages to tell James’s story without infringing on anyone else’s privacy by sharing things they wouldn’t want shared.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

James read so excellently at his sister's wedding I did not realize that he had dyslexia.

 

[HRHHermione]

James read so excellently at his sister's wedding I did not realize that he had dyslexia.

He worked to memorize the passage and wrote it all out phonetically and worked with a public speaking coach, rehearsing daily for eight weeks.

A real act of love for his sister I thought.

 

[HRHHermione]

I am home sick with a cold, so I had time to finish the book today. What a lovely and straightforward story from a nice man. There’s a humility in how James tells his story that is very endearing, but what will be most interesting to many people is the warm insights into the extended Middleton family.

A few things I noted:

- When James first received some of his mental health diagnoses, his psychiatrist recommended him a book and he felt it was so valuable in understanding him that he bought copies for his parents, for Catherine and Pippa, and for William and James. It struck me as very endearing that he knew they cared about him enough that they’d want to read anything that could help him.

-Christmas 2017 and the early months of 2018 were extremely hard on James and his family, with the entire family being afraid for him as it was clear he was in crisis and his life was at risk. It provides some new history to that time and what Catherine was experiencing along with Pippa and their parents.

- The whole extended family gets on beautifully. James seems to have been welcomed and included by both the royal family (he and the late Queen enjoyed jigsaw puzzles and talking about cocker spaniel breeding) and by the Matthews family. He speaks fondly of all the time he and Alizee and their dogs have spent at Glen Affric, and he has a painting in his home of Alizee and one of the dogs done by Jane Matthews for them as a wedding present. (Pippa’s mother in law)

You see in this book a lot of why they get on so well- they all love hiking and swimming and sailing and rural pursuits of all kinds. James bred the dogs the rest of the family has, and they’re all very bonded through the dogs.

Really nice story.

 

[Ghost]

That’s so so nice!

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I am home sick with a cold, so I had time to finish the book today. What a lovely and straightforward story from a nice man. There’s a humility in how James tells his story that is very endearing, but what will be most interesting to many people is the warm insights into the extended Middleton family.

A few things I noted:

- When James first received some of his mental health diagnoses, his psychiatrist recommended him a book and he felt it was so valuable in understanding him that he bought copies for his parents, for Catherine and Pippa, and for William and James. It struck me as very endearing that he knew they cared about him enough that they’d want to read anything that could help him.

-Christmas 2017 and the early months of 2018 were extremely hard on James and his family, with the entire family being afraid for him as it was clear he was in crisis and his life was at risk. It provides some new history to that time and what Catherine was experiencing along with Pippa and their parents.

- The whole extended family gets on beautifully. James seems to have been welcomed and included by both the royal family (he and the late Queen enjoyed jigsaw puzzles and talking about cocker spaniel breeding) and by the Matthews family. He speaks fondly of all the time he and Alizee and their dogs have spent at Glen Affric, and he has a painting in his home of Alizee and one of the dogs done by Jane Matthews for them as a wedding present. (Pippa’s mother in law)

You see in this book a lot of why they get on so well- they all love hiking and swimming and sailing and rural pursuits of all kinds. James bred the dogs the rest of the family has, and they’re all very bonded through the dogs.

Really nice story.

Did James mention the name of the book his therapist mentioned that he also gave to his sisters and to William?

 

[HRHHermione]

Did James mention the name of the book his therapist mentioned that he also gave to his sisters and William?

He did- it’s “The Gift of Adult ADD: How to Transform Your Challenges and Build on Your Strengths” by Lara Honos-Webb. He apparently felt the book did such a good job describing both his challenges and the things he is good at that it would help his family understand him better.

 

[Somebody]

(...)
-Christmas 2017 and the early months of 2018 were extremely hard on James and his family, with the entire family being afraid for him as it was clear he was in crisis and his life was at risk. It provides some new history to that time and what Catherine was experiencing along with Pippa and their parents.
(...)

Catherine was pregnant of Louis at the time. While she was past the initial stages of the pregnancy, which seemed to have been hardest in terms of Hyperemesis Gravidarum. It must have been a very vulnerable time for the family as a whole.

 

[HRHHermione]

Oh, and I’m not sure how well this was known, but apparently Michael Middleton speaks fluent French and loves the language and that’s part of why Alizee got on so well with Carole and Michael.