Kate Middleton's brother, James, made a big impression at her wedding to Prince William in 2011.
In a new interview The Sunday TimesMiddleton revealed that she was offered $1 million by an American production company for reciting a Bible verse during the ceremony.
“They said that maybe my relatives would like to join,” he told the outlet.
Middleton apparently declined the offer, as he is dyslexic and reading aloud would cause him extreme anxiety.
Kate Middleton's brother, James Middleton, said he was offered a $1 million film deal after attending her wedding to Prince William in 2011. (David M. Bennett/Dave Bennett/Hugo Boss via Getty Images)
Kate Middleton's brother James opens up about battling 'severe' depression and public life
Despite the nerves of reading in front of hundreds of people and broadcast to millions of viewers around the world, he prepared extensively for the event with a vocal coach and wanted to be involved in supporting his sister.
“I'd never seen a royal wedding,” he said, “never in my lifetime, at least not a big one. I didn't know the scale or the worldwide attention. But I was honored that my sister asked me to do it, and I felt it would mean something to her, and I definitely wanted to go through with it.”
Middleton also recalled how Prince William tried to shield the family from intense media scrutiny during the early days of his relationship with Kate.
“William was a fantastic support for our family,” the 37-year-old said. “He did everything in his power to protect us from the intense interest not only in Catherine but in her immediate family.”
Middleton said she was nervous about reading to her sister because she suffers from dyslexia, but wanted to support her. (Clara Molden/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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“But I was already in a mentally unstable state at the time and that added to the pressure,” he added.
In her memoir, “Meet Ella,” Middleton opened up about her own mental struggles, including contemplating suicide in 2017.
It was his dog, a cocker spaniel named Ella, that helped pull him away from his dark thoughts.
“Even when I felt so alone, I was never alone,” Middleton said.
Middleton wrote a memoir, “Meet Ella,” about her experience overcoming mental anguish with the help of her dog. (Simon & Schuster)
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Explaining that he suffered from anxiety and depression, he recalled to The Sunday Times: “Something was taking over my mind but I didn't know what it was so it was very difficult to talk about. And I didn't feel like I had any right to be depressed because I've had everything and I'm so blessed.”
“I was honored that my sister asked me to do it. It meant something to her. I definitely wanted to go through with it.”
Middleton eventually sought treatment with the support of Kate and his sister Pippa, but his parents initially did not understand what he was going through.
“They were uncomfortable with my diagnosis of 'clinical depression,'” he wrote in his memoir in The Sunday Times. “I can understand why it was worrying for people of their generation – society was only just beginning to break down the stigma.”
Middleton sought treatment, including therapy, to overcome her mental health issues. (Jens Karaene/Photo Alliance via Getty Images)
Kate Middleton's brother James praised for bringing therapy dog on red carpet 'date'
The Middletons ended up going to family therapy together.
“I felt guilty because I knew they were worried,” he told the media outlet. “They felt guilty because it's really painful not being able to help the person they love the most. I finally understood how I felt, but was nervous about trying to communicate that to my family without the help of an interpreter. When they came to the session, they had the opportunity to ask questions that I couldn't necessarily answer.”
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Middleton recovered quickly with the help of therapy and his dog, Ella. A year after his darkest hour, he met his wife, Alizee Thevenet, and they married in 2021. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Inigo, in 2023.
