The moment Kate Middleton's brother James knew William was 'just right' for his sister
The Princess of Wales' brother James Middleton has spoken about the moment he knew Prince William was "just right" for his sister.
James has shared his thoughts in his upcoming memoir Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, an excerpt of which was published in the Daily Mail.
The 37-year-old said it was witnessing William's reaction to meeting James' puppy Ella that cemented his approval of the royal's relationship with sister Catherine.
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James Middleton has shared his thoughts in his upcoming memoir. Getty
"I have not told him or Catherine about Ella," he wrote.
"They know I am getting a puppy, but they don't realise 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."
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He said it was witnessing William's reaction to meeting James' puppy Ella that cemented his approval. Getty
William reportedly smiled upon meeting Ella, telling James he "thought you sounded a bit sheepish about something when you phoned," before James confirmed to the royal the puppy was his new beloved pet.
"But I remember putting him through his paces when we first met," James wrote.
"Did he deserve my sister? He had to earn my trust."
He said it "helped" that William loved Ella, saying the royal 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," he added.
The couple dated for 10 years before announcing their engagement in 2010. AP
Upon hearing William and Catherine were to wed, James wrote: "William has been in our lives for so long and we've grown very fond of him. He feels like our older brother and he and Catherine are so clearly a good fit, just right for each other.
As we digest the news, I know I haven't yet experienced the love they feel for each other myself. But I'm hoping one day I will."
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The book is out on September 26 and is currently available for pre-order. Hachette
He continued: "There on the front page [of the Evening Standard in the following days] was a picture of Catherine in her blue dress.
"I tucked a copy under my arm and walked home with a sense that it was all quite surreal."
James described his reaction at hearing about his sister's engagement and seeing her in the news. Getty
Prince William and Catherine met when they were both students at St Andrew's College in London. They dated for almost a decade before announcing their engagement in 2010.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were married on April 29, 2011.
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