James Middleton is undoubtedly in a glorious bubble of happiness at the moment, after he announced his engagement to girlfriend Alizee Thevenet earlier this week, but that’s not to say he still isn’t keeping things real.
In his first post since announcing the happy news in early October, Duchess Catherine’s youngest sibling has taken to his Instagram platform once again to share an emotional message, and it’s a beautiful reminder to appreciate the little things in life.
Taking to his Instagram account on Thursday, October 10, which aligned with World Mental Health Day, James shared a beautiful picture of his dog, Ella to his Instagram account.
In the caption, he wrote: “This is Ella & these are the eyes which helped me get through the insufferable darkness.”
He continued: “The gentle touch of your wet nose and a loving lick was enough to make me feel brave.”
The 32-year-old finished: “I will forever be in your debt. Thank you Ella”.
The post came in light of World Mental Health Day, which is something the royal in-law is passionate about promoting.
James has been open about his struggles with mental health in the past, even writing an article for the Daily Mail where he recounted his experience of suffering in silence.
“I know I’m richly blessed and live a privileged life,” he wrote.
“But it did not make me immune to depression. It is tricky to describe the condition. It is not merely sadness. It is an illness, a cancer of the mind.”
James has previously opened up about his battle with mental illness in the past.
(Instagram / @jmidy)Middleton explained that he had suffered from severe dyslexia since his childhood, which affected him socially and caused him to miss out on school work.
He also admitted that in 2017, he was in a “fog”.
“I barely functioned, stopped talking to my friends, went through the motions of living and working but achieved nothing at all.”
Eventually, James went to his doctor where he started making progress.
“I’d finally confronted the fact that I couldn’t cope any longer, that I wasn’t all right; that I desperately needed help. And this recognition led to a sort of calm: I knew if I accepted help there would be hope. It was a tiny spark of light in the darkness,” he wrote.
The royal in-law is enormously fond of his pups.
(Instagram / @jmidy)The beautiful post by James on Thursday was met with praise from his followers, many of whom shared their own stories.
“Animals are the best, thank you for being so real! I admire you,” wrote one fan.
Another said: “This makes me smile. My two dogs were the only reason I survived the darkest period in my life. I truly feel blessed to care for such beautiful creatures.”
If you, or someone you know is struggling, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636 for 24 hour support.
