James Middleton says he 'had three mothers growing up' as he opens up on close-knit family bond

Every time the Princess of Wales or her siblings talk about their childhood, it’s clear how close the Middleton family have always been - and will always be. Speaking recently to Hello!, Kate’s brother James has now described how "fortunate" he was to have multiple mother figures when he was growing up.

As the youngest in the family, he admitted that he got "away with quite a lot", but added that he jokingly says he had "three mothers growing up". Alongside his actual mum Carole, his sisters Kate and Pippa were people he looked up to and could always turn to.

"I had my mother and my two sisters, who were mothering figures to me. I was very fortunate," he said. "We had a fantastic childhood, and they included me in everything they did, and still do. I'm now in my late 30s and we still have that friendship."

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The Princess of Wales is five years older than James and Pippa is four years older. Even though James’s comments were light-hearted, his admiration for his older sisters and how they continue to look out for each other couldn’t have been more honest or heartfelt.

Each of the Middleton siblings now has families of their own and busy lives, but they still make time for plenty of family visits. According to James, he, Kate and Pippa were brought up to be grateful for every moment with their loved ones.

He explained, "We're a close family, and we’re fortunate in that we see lots of each other. My parents play a good role in getting us all together in that respect. We've been brought up knowing that you can't take family for granted."

"You don't get to choose them, as you can choose your friends. But I don't think you can give up on your family like you can sometimes with friends," James added.

This sentiment is something that probably really strikes a chord with James, as he’s been incredibly open in the past about how his family all rallied round when he was struggling with his mental health and battling depression.

In an interview with The Telegraph back in 2019 James shared that "all" of the Middletons, including the future Queen, joined him for some therapy sessions.

This was "actually a very, very big thing", he said, before revealing that it was "so important because that helped them understand me and how my mind was working."

"And I think the way the therapy helped me was that I didn’t need my family to say, "What can we do?" The only thing they could do was just come to some of the therapy sessions to start to understand," he continued.

Their unwavering support and desire to understand his experience meant a huge amount to James Middleton. Over the years Kate has been a high-profile advocate for mental health support as well, particularly with regards to young people.

In 2023 the Princess gave a passionate speech to mark World Mental Health Day at a forum in Birmingham in which she reflected on why it’s so vital to focus on this.

"It is important, however, to remind ourselves of the big picture as we meet here today. What are we trying to improve by focusing our efforts on mental health? Ultimately, we are working to build a happier, healthier world.

"We want to shape fairer, safer, kinder, more equal societies—societies that seek the common good and a better future together," she declared.

It’s her belief that if we all talk about mental health with this at the forefront of our minds, it "need not have so many negative connotations" and we can "normalise it" as something we all have and need.