James Middleton has revealed he has adopted a blind lamb in a touching Instagram post celebrating his 34th birthday.
Kate Middleton’s brother, who moved into his new home with fiancée Alizée Thevenet earlier this month, shared a post online as he marked the big day.
The entrepreneur, who founded raw dog food brand Ella & Co, said he was celebrating his birthday with Alizée, his dogs and a lamb, who he said was ‘a new member of the pack’.
In one snap posted on his own page, James could be seen hanging out of a window, with Ella and the new lamb, Captain, who he said he adopted after he was rejected by his mother.
James Middleton shared snaps of his pets on Instagram as he thanked his dog Ella for introducing him to his fiancée as he celebrated his birthday. In one of the snaps on his company Ella & Co’s page, he shared a picture of him and Ella wearing blue birthday hats
In another photo, posted on his company’s Instagram, James can be seen smiling and being showered in confetti as he sat next to Ella, while the pair wore matching blue birthday hats.
The final snap showed four dogs, a golden retriever, two black cocker spaniels and a brown spaniel, as well as Captain in a dog bed.
Alongside the series of snaps, James wrote: ‘Today is my Birthday and I’m celebrating with my wonderful fiancee Alizee, and of course all the dogs and a new member of the pack.
‘I always reflect on my Birthday and I’m truly so thankful to Ella for bringing me so much happiness into my life.
James revealed that they have adopted a lamb called Captain who is partially blind and was rejected by his mother
‘She was the one who introduced me to Alizee, she supported me during my experience with clinical depression, she has kept my young & active and is the driving force behind my motivation to launch @ella.co.
‘So you might be wondering why there is a little lamb in the photo… well Captain is partially blind and rejected by his mother so we’ve adopted him… although I think he now thinks he’s a spaniel.’
Writing in The Telegraph last month, James explained he met Alizée in 2014 at Chelsea’s the South Kensington Club when Ella ‘made a beeline for Alizée’.
James, who was ’embarrassed’, went over ‘to apologise and bring Ella back’, recalling how Alizée thought he was a ‘waiter’ and ‘ordered her drink while continuing to stroke Ella, who at this point was on her back lapping up the attention.’
James Middleton and Alizée Thevenet met after Ella ‘made a beeline for her’ at Chelsea’s The South Kensington Club, and the pair were supposed to get married last year but had to postpone twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic
Revealing his new home purchase, James said he and Alizée are looking forward to being ‘reunited with our belongings, which have been in storage for almost a year now’.
It comes months after the pair were seen house-hunting in south-West London, just a stone’s throw from the home his sister Pippa shares with her husband and two children.
James has regularly been sharing snaps and videos from his stay at his parent’s home, with his Instagram offering royal fans a sneak peek into the stunning manor house that Kate Middleton’s parents have called home since 2012.
The couple are believed to have snapped up the seven-bedroom property, which features a tennis court, swimming pool and a library, for £4.7million nine years ago.
Last August, James appeared on BBC ‘s Sunday Live to speak about his struggles with mental health and how his dogs — particularly his black cocker spaniel Ella — have helped him (pictured: four of James’s dogs and the lamb Captain)
The Georgian pile, which is the former family seat of a family whose ancestors were granted the land by Henry VIII, offers the Middletons unrivalled seclusion and privacy.
It is set in 18 acres of landscaped grounds with views across a picturesque valley.
It is unknown whether James and Alizée plan to move to Berkshire to be close to Carole and Mike, or elsewhere in the country.
He has previously spoken of his love for the Scottish Highlands and at one time worked as a host at Scottish hotel Glen Affric Lodge – owned by the family of his brother-in-law James Matthews – near Loch Ness.
He has previously spoken of his love for the Scottish Highlands and at one time worked as a host at Scottish hotel Glen Affric Lodge – owned by the family of his brother-in-law James Matthews – near Loch Ness (pictured with Alizee in Scotland)
The Duchess of Cambridge’s brother announced his engagement to his French partner last October after he is believed to have proposed while in the Lake District.
Last year he revealed that he and Alizee were forced to postpone their wedding twice because of the global pandemic.
The couple had originally planned to get married in May but pushed back to a later date in summer, and are now expected to have their nuptials next year.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as James’ sister Pippa and her husband James will most likely attend.