James Middleton Shares the Low-Key Way He Found Out Sister Kate Was Engaged to Prince William
"Did he deserve my sister? He had to earn my trust."
While Prince William and Kate Middleton's 2010 engagement press conference—and the soon-to-be royal bride's iconic blue wrap dress—made headlines around the world, it turns out her brother, James Middleton, found out the news in quite a different fashion.
In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life shared in The Daily Mail on Sept. 14, James revealed the sweet story of how his big sister told him her happy secret.
The royal sibling wrote of the "terrific buzz throughout the country" that Kate and William were "about to get engaged" in November 2010 and how one day he headed to a "local pub" with Kate and their sister, Pippa, near their parents' home in Bucklebury, England.
"We sit in a corner, chattering quietly. Catherine whispers the news and says it will become public in the next day or so. Pippa and I want to be visibly excited, but we have to tamp down our emotions so no one suspects a thing," he penned.
Although the siblings couldn't properly celebrate the news in public, James noted that they made "a quiet acknowledgement that we’ll always be there for each other, look out for one another, support each other. No matter how crazy things get."
On Nov. 16, the soon-to-be princess called her little brother to tell him the announcement would be made—and James shared how he headed to walk his dog, Ella, "in Battersea Park savouring the secret knowledge and feeling a thrill of happiness for them."
The proud sibling—who later thought Kate and William "were joking" when they asked him to do a reading at their wedding—also shared how he sweetly picked up a copy of The Evening Standard with the couple's photo on it.
"There on the front page was a picture of Catherine in her blue dress," James wrote. "I tucked a copy under my arm and walked home with a sense that it was all quite surreal."
James—who wrote that the family had "grown very fond of" William over the years—shared that the prince felt like an "older brother," pointing out how "he and Catherine are so clearly a good fit, just right for each other."
"I thought how lucky William was to be marrying my capable, down-to-earth big sister, and I felt absolutely reassured that they were in love," he penned.
However, even if he was going to be the future king, there was a point when Prince William needed to win James over.
When he first met Kate's boyfriend, James wrote of "putting him through his paces" and wondering, "Did he deserve my sister? He had to earn my trust."
Luckily, the Prince of Wales became a part of the family, with James sharing that William brought out the best sides of his sister. "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."
