Nepo Dog? Kate Middleton's Brother's Dead Dog Gets Its Own Biography Book Published
A biography about Kate Middleton's brother James Middleton's dead dog will soon be released.
The 37-year-old younger brother of the Princess of Wales will drop his first book, "Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life," in September.
James first revealed earlier this year that he was writing a memoir honoring his first dog, Ella, which he said gave him strength amid his struggle with depression.
RELATED: Kate Middleton's Preventative Chemotherapy Explained: Doc Reveals Likely Cancer Type, Drug Treatment
(Photo : Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
In a description of the book, published by Simon & Schuster, "Meet Ella" was described as "a wonderfully heartwarming celebration of an unbreakable bond and the amazing healing potential of the human-animal connection."
The memoir will center on "the extraordinary bond between James and his beloved first pup, Ella. From their enchanting introduction to their many adventures, from Scottish mountain sides to royal weddings, their journey is marked by love, loyalty, and unexpected twists of fate," the description said.
It will also contain "a deeply personal account of James' battle with depression" and reveal how Ella became the "catalyst for his healing journey."
The fact that a biography about a dog got greenlit has raised some eyebrows.
The Daily Beast royal correspondent Tom Sykes suggested that it made Ella a "nepo dog" -- a play on the term "nepo baby" or "nepotism baby" -- and that James would not have been able to score the book deal if he and the dog had no connection with Princess Kate and the royal family.
(Photo : JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
He noted that this connection is being used to market the book, pointing to the royal references in the description of "Meet Ella."
"It's not surprising the marketing folks threw that one in there because without Kate, everyone knows this book would be just another unloved mutt in the literary pound," Sykes claimed.
Princess Kate's other sibling, Pippa Middleton, previously faced accusations that she cashed in on her royal connections by landing a book deal.
(Photo : Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
When he announced the completion and release date of the memoir in March, James said he wrote the book to cope with the loss of the black cocker spaniel after it died in January 2023.
"Now, as many of you know, I credit Ella to saving my life when I was eclipsed with clinical depression, and she passed away just over a year ago. I was heartbroken...we were inseparable for 15 years. So I decided to share her journey through this book," he said in a video posted on Instagram.
James -- who is an ambassador for the Pets As Therapy charity and a volunteer for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and Dogs Trust -- added that he hopes the book "will also help us to talk more openly about our mental health, our need for connection and the way in which the animals that we think we are taking care of are actually looking after us in return."
In May, James revealed the cover of the book, which showed him carrying Ella on his shoulders.
According to a post on Instagram, the snap was taken by his wife Alizee Thevenet during Ella's final days.
"It was taken by my wife Alizee on one of our last walks together. I had tears in my eyes as I knew she was getting weaker by the day. But we enjoyed every last moment we could together," James wrote.
"Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life" will hit shelves on Sept. 26.
