James Middleton Reveals the "Cacophony of Emotions" He's Experiencing After Announcing a Devastating Family Loss

James Middleton is famous for his love of dogs and is responsible for introducing Prince William and Princess Kate to their own furry friends. On Friday, October 9, the Princess of Wales's brother announced that his beloved 15-year-old cocker spaniel, Zulu, has died.

"My darling Zulu has passed away 🖤," Middleton captioned a series of photos of Zulu on Instagram, including a sweet black-and-white portrait of himself holding the dog.

"I’ve written a lot about losing dogs. About the grief, the emptiness, how difficult it is to say goodbye," he wrote. "I’ve shared my own experiences, tried to find the words to comfort others and, in doing so, perhaps tried to make a little more sense of it myself. But no matter how many times you experience it, how much you write about it, or how much you think you’ve come to understand it, nothing quite prepares you for this cacophony of emotions…"

Along with a sweet photo of his son, Inigo, kissing Zulu on the head and a group photo of his dogs together, James shared a heartbreaking photo of Inigo standing in front of Zulu's freshly-dug grave.

Middleton credits his late dog Ella with saving his life during a period of deep depression, and he shared that Zulu, who was Ella's son, is now buried next to his mother. Prince William and Princess Kate's late dog, Lupo, was Zulu's brother, and James wrote that he hoped the dogs were now reunited.

"I have laid Zulu to rest beside his mother, Ella. I like to think that he’s already found her, his brother Lupo, Tilly, Mini and the other animals who have shared my life," he added. "That they’re all together again and he’s busy telling his mum everything she’s missed. All the adventures, all the changes in our lives and, most importantly, just how wonderful little Inigo is…"

Zulu would have turned 16 this month.