Princess Kate’s brother James Middleton has shared about a surprising early impression of Prince William.
In his memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, James recalls meeting William for the first time.
According to the excerpt published by DailyMail, James describes the Prince of Wales’ first impression as “positive” due to his love for James’ dog, Ella.
He wrote, “I have not told him or Catherine about Ella. They know I am getting a puppy, but they don’t realize her arrival is imminent. So I let Ella announce herself; place her on the doorstep and allow her to make her entrance. She bounds into the kitchen to introduce herself to Catherine and William.”
James further noted that William’s warm reaction to the puppy reassured him about his sister’s choice.
“But I remember putting him through his paces when we first met. ‘Did he deserve my sister?’ ‘He had to earn my trust’,” he admits in his memoir.
James continues, “It helped of course that William was so genuinely fond of Ella. When he first encountered her as a tiny puppy at Bucklebury, he was smitten. He’d had a black Labrador, Widgeon, as a boy, and when Widgeon died, he left an empty space. I felt William was pining for a dog when Ella was around.”
The memoir also reflects on the engagement announcement in 2010. James recalls feeling reassured by the couple’s love and noting that “It was beautiful to see how he brought out her confidence.”
“She’d blossomed. I knew he’d look after her, and he does to this day,” he added.
