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The Princess of Wales' brother, James Middleton, has been incredibly vocal about how his beloved, late dog, Ella, helped him during his struggle with his mental health. "I owe a lot to Ella and I believe she is a large reason I was able to overcome the deep struggles I have had with my mental illnesses," he said of his late pup, who died in January 2023. Last month, James revealed he had a sculpture of his dog's head created for his home, but according to reports, that isn't the only way the dad-of-one is honouring his beloved pet. Richard Eden revealed that James, who married his wife Alizée Thevent in 2021, has had his pet immortalised in a framed photograph "which he carries at all times." "My friend, the artist Holly Frean, painted a tiny portrait of her, no bigger than a postage stamp," James, 38, said, who has a two-year-old son, Inigo. James went on to say how the special image has been with him on many occasions, including King Charles' coronation. "I bring it with me to meaningful occasions: she's been to the King’s Coronation and Wimbledon and was even present at Inigo's birth." It appears that the portrait can be seen in the photograph James shared upon the birth of his son back in October 2023. Alongside a photograph of Inigo holding the portrait were the words: "He has been in our lives for just a few weeks but they have been the most special of my life getting to know our beautiful baby boy. No matter how prepared I thought I was…I was not prepared for the overwhelming emotion of meeting Inigo for the first time and the love for my darling Alizée as we became three. "We have settled into our new life as parents and I’ve told him all about Ella and that if it wasn’t for her he wouldn’t be here today and that we miss her greatly. The dogs have been fantastic at welcoming their little brother into the pack (although Inka needs to know the teddybears are not all for her…). He concluded: "We would like to thank the wonderful team at Basingstoke hospital, from the very first scan to walking out the front door for the first time as three, we couldn’t have felt more supported and looked after throughout so thank you NHS." Keeping her memory alive There's no doubt that Ella's memory lives on in James' world, not only is she the top of his Christmas tree, but James' dog food and lifestyle company, James & Ella is inspired by his late pet. James confessed that when the aforementioned sculpture of Ella was brought home, he burst into tears. He confessed: "I was so emotional when I first saw her ‘she’s home’ I cried," James gushed. He continued: "Photos are amazing to treasure but this sculpture captures her in a way no photo ever has, Inigo is captivated by her saying ‘bonjour’ every time he passes her."
