James Middleton Admits His Son “Spent the First Year of His Life Thinking He was a Dog”

Queen Elizabeth was known as the biggest dog lover in the Royal Family, but Princess Kate's brother James Middleton might give the late monarch a run for her money. The Princess of Wales's little brother not only breeds dogs but owns his own pet food company, and last year, he published a memoir about how his beloved cocker spaniel Ella saved him from depression. In a new interview with Hello! magazine's The Daily Lowdown podcast, Middleton revealed that his little boy loves animals just as much as he does.

In fact, the Meet Ella author—who shares an 18-month old son, Inigo, with wife Alizée Thevenet—said his son's “first word was ‘woof.'” His choice of word should come as no surprise given James and Alizée are pet parents to a whopping six dogs: Isla, Zulu, Inka, Luna, Mabel and Nala.

Apparently, Inigo considers himself as part of the pack. Middleton admitted that the toddler “spent the first year of his life thinking he was a dog. He'd crawl around on all fours, which was entertaining to watch.”

The James & Ella pet food founder continued, “But he loves dogs, particularly Isla—he puts his arm around her neck and squeezes. He loves chatting to the animals. He shouts at the chickens and knows what noise a cow makes. He shares many of my loves, which are tractors, sheep and dogs.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales have benefitted from James's knowledge of canines, as their first dog, Lupo—who died in 2020—was bred by Middleton as well as their current dog, Orla.

In his memoir, Middleton wrote that his late dog Ella was responsible for saving him from a suicide attempt. After climbing through the skylight onto the roof of his London apartment building, James—who was suffering from deep depression—considered jumping, but looked down and saw Ella staring at him. “I haul myself back from the brink, slowly climb down the ladder and stroke Ella's silky head,” he wrote. “She is the reason I do not take that fatal leap. She is Ella, the dog who saved my life.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.