James Middleton on why Kate's pet dog is likely a huge support during her cancer journey

James Middleton believes the Wales' family dog has played an important role in the Princess of Wales' recovery from cancer.

Middleton, 37, credits his own dog, Ella, for saving his life when he was in the depths of despair.

He's written a book about his experiences, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, which details the night he contemplated ending his life, in 2017.

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But it was his cocker spaniel, Ella, who stopped Middleton from doing it, when he saw her looking up at him and he wondered what would happen to her if he were not around.

The healing power of animals is a major theme in Middleton's book and his dog Ella is praised for not only saving him that night, but for turning his life around.

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He's now married and father to an 11-month-old son.

Sadly, Ella is no longer here but her relatives are. Middleton's sister Pippa has one of Ella's sons and the Princess of Wales and her family have one of Ella's granddaughters, named Orla.

During an interview about his book, Middleton was asked whether he believed Orla might have had a part in supporting Kate, 42, through her illness.

"I know how much the dogs, for me, have helped in taking your mind off something," Middleton tells Hello! in its print edition.

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"So I'm certain that for them, Orla is doing her job in supporting her family."

The Princess of Wales was photographed in public on Sunday attending church at Balmoral with the Prince of Wales.

It was Catherine's first appearance in public since announcing she had finished chemotherapy, a milestone she revealed through the release of an intimate family video filmed in Norfolk.

In the video, the princess said she was "entering a new phase of recovery" in her "complex, scary and unpredictable" cancer journey.

Kate added she was "looking forward to undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months", but that her focus would be on "doing what I can to stay cancer free".

Last Tuesday, the princess returned to work by hosting a meeting related to her Early Years project at Windsor Castle.

In an interview with The Times, Middleton said that his dog Ella had come to him for an important reason – to help him through his biggest challenges.

The dog passed away in January 2023.

"Saying goodbye to Ella was not just saying goodbye to her as a dog," Middleton told The Times.

"It was everything I'd been through with her. She had arrived just as I was starting out in my twenties and she was leaving as I'd finally figured things out in my mid-thirties.

"She put me on the right path and I didn't want another day from her. I didn't want another hour. I would have loved it but I didn't need it.

"She was sent to me before I even knew I needed her, but she chose me. She was able to transform my life better than any human could have done and then she put me in the capable hands of someone and together we're now raising our own family."

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