Starting with Ella, who helped him through anxiety and depression, James Middleton has owned three generations of cocker spaniels. He has supplied the Princess of Wales, one of his sisters, with two spaniel puppies from his pack: Lupo and Orla. He launched a dog food company in 2020, called James and Ella, and in 2024, published a book titled Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life. He talks about how we should all be more dog, the rabbit that walked to heel, and the pig he never had.
Tell me about your pack of six
My eldest is Zulu, a 13-year-old cocker spaniel, and he’s my only boy. He is the brother of Lupo, which was my sister’s [Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales] first dog. Their mother was Ella, my first dog, who died in 2023. Then there’s Luna and Inka, both 11. They are from Ella’s second litter. Luna is the mother of Orla, my sister’s current dog. Nala is four, and she is the daughter of Zulu and the granddaughter of Ella. And then we have two golden retrievers: Mabel, who is seven, and her daughter Isla, two.
Are dogs or bitches best?
I think you fall in love with the traits of a dog or the traits of a bitch, and I think you tend to stick with that. And also having dogs and bitches together in the house can cause complications if they’re not spayed or neutered. I like the idea of being able to keep a line of Ella throughout my life. And my son [Inigo, two] will have one of her offspring somewhere down the line. So when I breed them, I always breed them with the intent that I keep one. Ella’s first litter happened to be five boys. So I didn’t really have much of a choice about Zulu, but I’ve tended towards bitches.
Have you had many puppies?
Five litters. Ella had two litters. Most recently it was Mabel, the golden retriever. It was the hottest summer on record so finding a cool space in the house for her was challenging. She had a lovely litter that all went to friends and family. One of them, Ned, went to Monty Don.
Which has been the most important dog in your life?
Ella was the dog that saved me. My fondest memory is hiking up mountains with Ella. It was pure ecstasy in the sense of, you know, I loved it, she loved it. And then me seeing her loving it was that sort of little extra element on top. I still go for a walk and I will think I see her. I’m calling all the dogs back and I sometimes just shout Ella by mistake. What’s lovely is that I see Ella through her offspring. The way that one of them is trotting or one of them turns their head.
Who does the lion’s share of dog care?
My wife [Alizée Thevenet] and I share it very much equally. I’d say 90 per cent of the walks we go on are together. And then the dogs often come out on the farm with me [the family farm is in Berkshire]. Feeding is very much my responsibility, because of my work [his dog food brand, James & Ella]. We all go for longer adventures on weekends.
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What have you learnt about owning a dog?
My wife would say — she wore a white skirt on our first date — that white doesn’t really go very well with black dogs. I think that’s probably her biggest learning. I think quite simply my biggest lesson is that we think that we’re looking after them, and actually they’re the ones who are looking after us. I think we’re unbelievably lucky to have them in our lives. And they can help us in so many ways, if we let them into our hearts as much as they let us into theirs.
Why should we be more dog?
Dogs don’t worry about tomorrow or the future. They live in the moment. When I see them out for a morning walk or put them to bed at night, they just love the moment that we’re sharing as opposed to chasing something in the future that’s unreachable.
Did you have any childhood pets?
A rabbit called Jess. I taught her to walk to heel or on a lead and she used to come on little adventures with me. She was the first animal that truly responded to me and was excited to see me. I was in love with Babe, the pig film. I remember really wanting to get a pig. I was trying to suggest to my parents that we should get a pig because … look how I can train it to be like Babe. They shut that down quite quickly.
Do your pets have any celebrity friends?
Zulu went to stay with Roger Federer and his family during Wimbledon for a week, just to keep them company. One of the children asked if he could come and stay, and I said yes.
What’s the damage?
I don’t look at it as being an expense, and that’s because they are my children. I did a study once to show that to provide love and care for a dog is actually cheaper than the average gym membership.
How spoilt are your pets?
We travel with them a lot. They come skiing. I wouldn’t necessarily spoil them on a daily basis. But I sort of made a vow to give back to my dogs as much as they give to me. And I think personally the best thing you can do for a dog is to feed them the best diet. Dogs are not bothered by whether they have a cashmere jumper or a fancy dog bed.
What would you put pet owners in the doghouse for?
Treating a dog like an accessory to your life. Dogs should be respected and given credit for what they do, and treating them like an accessory is unjust.
What is the most significant thing one of your dogs has destroyed?
When Ella was a puppy living with my parents she chewed the kitchen chairs. The bases of some of the kitchen chairs when she was teething. And they are now in our kitchen — they’re the chairs that we use every day. And they are priceless to me. Because they’ve got marks from those little six-month-old puppy teeth.
James & Ella is James Middleton’s canine food brand promoting health and wellbeing for dogs, ella.co
