James Middleton put Prince William through the wringer before he married Princess Kate Middleton.
“Any brother, I think, is protective of their sisters. So even though I’m the little squirt of their brother — probably getting in the way — [I] still had to make sure that he had my approval,” James, 37, told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting his book, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life. “I think in anybody’s life, you want to know that the person that they’re spending their time with or their life with is right.”
In Meet Ella — which is set to release on Thursday, September 26 — James detailed how William, 42, became a permanent fixture in the Middleton family.
“I do remember putting him through his paces when I first met him,” James wrote in the book. “Did he deserve my sister? He had to earn my trust.”
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It helped that William loved the pup, who meant so much to James that she inspired the memoir.
“I said it in the book, I wanted one day to experience what they were experiencing as a couple,” James told Us. “I think when it comes to those sorts of bits of advice and having been brought up in a female dominant household, and very much with strong capable women surrounding me, I’ve enjoyed having sort this older brother type figure to bounce other questions.”
James explained to Us that he will go to William with things he “might be too embarrassed” to ask sisters Kate or Pippa Matthews (née Middleton).
“I’ve been lucky,” he added. “I’m just incredibly grateful that they’ve been supportive of me over these as well.”
Because of Kate and William’s relationship — the two married in April 2011 — James has become somewhat of a public figure. James told Us that the media interest in his family’s life has been there “for longer than it hasn’t,” a fact he admitted was “scary” overall.
“Scary really because [of] how old I now am. It is more of a clock thing,” he explained. “I think the wedding was really when a spotlight was really turned onto our family.”
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Initially, James admitted it was “a challenge” for the Middleton parents — Michael and Carole — along with the kids.
“There’s a big difference between being a celebrity and being famous,” he told Us. “I was famous by default.”
James said he feels like now, he has his “own voice” aside from just being adjacent to the royal family.
“Initially, I was always Catherine’s little brother,” he said. “Now, I’ve been honest and true with myself in who I am. I’ve been recognized as an individual and [am] proud of what I am achieving on a day-to-day basis.”
