James Middleton's lessons from 'compassionate' sister Princess Kate

James Middleton has opened up about the impact his sisters, Princess Kate and Pippa, have had on him, especially during the darker times in his life. 

Having opened up many times about the mental health struggles he faced in 2017, the 38-year-old has spoken about how his siblings helped him through it all.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he explained how "incredibly fortunate" he felt to have his sisters "not just as siblings, but as friends."

James said: "They've seen me at my best and at my lowest, and they've always been there when I've needed them. Sibling love is something unique, you can't choose your siblings, it can be complicated, it takes work, but when it's strong, I believe it's one of the most powerful bonds there is."

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He especially credited Princess Kate, Pippa and his mother Carole for helping him in the crisis, adding: "They've always been emotionally open, expressive, and in tune with the people around them, and I think being surrounded by that kind of emotional intelligence rubbed off on me, even if I didn't fully realise it at the time.

"Looking back, I think it gave me permission, in a way, to feel things more deeply and to name those feelings when they came up," James continued. "That doesn't mean I always found it easy. In fact, like a lot of men, I struggled with expressing how I was doing when I was at my lowest."

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The entrepreneur noted that "having strong women around [him] who led with compassion and honesty" helped him to appreciate vulnerability.

James concluded that: "It probably laid the groundwork for me being able to open up later on, whether in therapy, writing the book, or just in honest conversations with the people I love. And for that, I'm incredibly grateful."

James Middleton's relationship with Princess Kate

James also opened up about the difficulties the family faced following the Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis in an interview with The Times earlier this month.

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He said: "For her and her family it was a challenging time, and I know for us and our bigger family it was a challenging time, but I think it's about communication and it's about offering support and help where you can."

The 38-year-old also added: "Being there for someone is such an important part, and it doesn't necessarily have to be on your terms and it shouldn't be on your terms. It should be on their terms; unconditional: 'I'm not doing it for something in return I'm doing it because I love you'."

Princess Kate's brother concluded: "And that's the simplest way of really demonstrating love. You can do it in all these various fancy ways but actually, you know, it is just generally being there."