Kate Middleton’s brother James Shared the Sweet Moment When He Learned the Princess Was Engaged: ‘No One Suspects a Thing’

Kate Middleton has always shared a close bond with her younger brother and sister, James and Pippa Middleton. In James’ new memoir, he reveals the sweet moment when Kate broke the news that she was marrying Prince William.

Kate Middleton might now be known as the Princess of Wales, but at one point, she was just a commoner without an ounce of fame. The now-princess met Prince William during the couple’s freshman year of college at the University of St. Andrews, and they’ve pretty much been together ever since.

Kate has always remained exceptionally close with her brother and sister, James and Pippa Middleton, and her brother revealed in his new memoir exactly what happened when he learned that William had proposed.

James Middleton revealed that he couldn’t show his excitement when Prince William proposed

James and Pippa weren’t actually present when William popped the question after about eight years of dating Kate. William and Kate were on a trip to Kenya when he planned the perfect moment, and Kate didn’t tell her brother and sister until after she returned home — but they learned before the public knew, so the siblings had to keep quiet. According to a segment from James’ memoir, “Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life,” he recalls when he was out with Pippa and Kate, and Kate shared the news.

“Catherine, Pippa and I go out for a walk with Ella and Tilly to our local pub in a village close to Bucklebury,” James says of the moment. “We sit in a corner, chattering quietly. Catherine whispers the news and says it will become public in the next day or so. Pippa and I want to be visibly excited, but we have to tamp down our emotions so no one suspects a thing.”

He added that all three of them took a moment to just enjoy the closeness they shared as siblings. “We make a quiet acknowledgement that we’ll always be there for each other, look out for one another, support each other. No matter how crazy things get.”

James Middleton had great things to say about Prince William

William and Kate had been together for years by the time he proposed, so it wasn’t exactly unexpected. Still, James shared in the memoir how much William meant to the family and how excited James was that William and Kate would get married.

“He feels like our older brother and he and Catherine are so clearly a good fit, just right for each other,” James wrote. He also added that he hoped to someday personally experience the love they shared between them; James later married his wife, Alizee Thevenet, in 2021.

Kate and her family have shared an unbreakable bond, which has been clear from the moment Kate entered the royal spotlight. It’s been rumored that a big reason Kate and William keep their children’s lives so private is because they want their kids to have the same normal upbringing that Kate was given, with the hopes that they build relationships just like the ones that Kate has with her own siblings.