James Middleton has revealed he used to send his parents Carole and Michael letters begging them for a pet dog, adding that he was “devastated” not to have a canine companion as a child.
The 36-year-old, who now has several dogs of his own, finally had his wishes fulfilled as a teenager when his parents adopted their golden retriever Tilly, with Kate, Princess of Wales also now keeping a pet dog for her children.
James has now founded his own pet wellbeing company Ella & Co and said he wanted nothing more as a child than a pet dog.
Speaking to OK! Magazine he said: “[I’d] write letters to my parents to try to convince them to let me have one.”
He admitted he was “devastated” not to have one until the family adopted golden retriever Tilly, who lived to the age of 17 and gave James great comfort during his teenage years.
He said: “I found a lot of solace in my dog, Tilly, particularly when I was a young teenager.
“She knew all of my secrets at the time – who I fancied and all of those little tricky parts that come with growing up that I never told anybody.”
Tilly passed away in 2018, however, one of James’s current dogs Mabel is her great-granddaughter.
James also bred the Waleses’ pet spaniel Orla and said how thrilled he was that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have a dog at home.
He added: “I see them being lucky that they have a dog in their life.”
Earlier this year James sadly lost his beloved 15-year-old dog Ella, who he credited with helping him out of depression and introducing him to his wife Alizée Thevenet.
