James Middleton facts for kids

James William Middleton (born 15 April 1987) is a British businessman. He is well-known as the younger brother of Catherine, Princess of Wales.

James was born in Reading, Berkshire. He went to St Andrew's School, Pangbourne and later to Marlborough College. He briefly studied at the University of Edinburgh before starting his own cake-making business. James gained public attention when his eldest sister, Catherine, began her relationship with and later married Prince William. He is a strong supporter of mental health awareness and has shared his own experiences with major depressive disorder. James is also an ambassador for the Pets As Therapy charity, which helps people through animals.

Early Life and School Days

James William Middleton was born on 15 April 1987 in Reading, Berkshire. He is the youngest child and only son of Michael Middleton (born 1949) and Carole Middleton (born 1955). His father used to work for British Airways, and his mother was a flight attendant.

Before James was born, his parents started a company called Party Pieces. This company sold party supplies through mail order. James has two older sisters: Catherine (born 1982) and Philippa (born 1983). The family lived in Bradfield Southend before moving to Bucklebury in 1995. James attended St Andrew's School, Pangbourne and then Marlborough College. In 2006, he went to the University of Edinburgh to study environmental resources. However, he left after about a year.

Starting Businesses and Career

James Middleton started a cake-making business. He got the idea from thinking about how special a mother's home baking is. His company sold baking kits that had all the ingredients needed for fun cakes, like "football cakes." He started baking in his family's kitchen and later expanded into bigger spaces. His parents' company, Party Pieces, helped distribute these themed baking kits.

His company also made special cakes for other businesses. In 2015, this cake kit business closed down. In May 2020, James launched a new company called Ella & Co. This business sells freeze-dried, raw, organic dog food by mail order.

Boomf: Personalised Gifts

Boomf

Magical Mallows
Type	Private
Industry	Personalised confectionery
Founded	November 2013
Founders	James Middleton and Andy Bell
Headquarters	Reading and London, England
Area served	Global

In 2013, James Middleton and Andy Bell started a company called boomf. This company creates personalised marshmallows and greeting cards. James had experience with personalised cakes from his earlier business.

Boomf officially launched in November 2013. At first, they didn't mention James's involvement to keep the launch quiet. But in January 2014, Boomf announced that James was a co-founder. They believed it would be hard to keep it a secret for long.

In 2014, Boomf raised over $1 million from different investors. In its first year, Boomf shipped a lot of marshmallows and made good sales. The company continued to grow and raised more money in 2015. After some years of growth, the company faced difficulties and closed down in 2022.

Personal Life and Advocacy

James Middleton has spent time at Glen Affric Estate, which is owned by his sister Philippa's father-in-law.

James Middleton has dyslexia, which is a learning difference that affects reading. He read from the Bible at the wedding of his sister Catherine to Prince William in 2011.

In 2019, James shared his personal struggles with depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He felt that the public attention he received from age 23, because of his sister's relationship, contributed to these challenges. He started getting help in 2017, including a type of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy. He also spent time at the Glen Affric Estate, a peaceful place that helped him feel better. This estate is owned by the family of his sister Philippa's husband. James has written articles about mental health to help others.

James is an ambassador for the Pets As Therapy charity. He has said that his dog, Ella, helped him a lot during his depression. He loves animals and breeds dogs, owning six, plus a rescue lamb. James also keeps bees at his home in Bucklebury Manor. In April 2020, he started the Paw Print Fund to support animal welfare charities.

James met French financial analyst Alizée Thevenet in 2018. They announced their engagement in September 2019. They planned to get married in 2020 but had to postpone the wedding twice because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple married on 11 September 2021, in France. Alizée wore her mother-in-law Carole Middleton's wedding dress from the 1980s. James and Alizée welcomed their first child on 21 September 2023.

Images for kids

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  The coat of arms for James Middleton, showing symbols related to his family.