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James Middleton marked Valentine’s Day with a moving tribute to his late dog Ella. The Princess of Wales ’ brother took to his Instagram on Feb. 14 to share a photo of his beloved cocker spaniel posing behind a vase of tulips. “You will always be my Valentines Ella ❤️,” James wrote alongside the image. “I planted a rose today so next year hopefully I will have a rose to put in her grave 🌹.”
James announced in January that Ella, who helped him overcome his struggles with mental health, had passed away. “For 15 years Ella has been at my side, from my darkest days to my happiest. I’m going to miss her terribly,” Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ maternal uncle penned. “Ella had a very short illness, she slipped away in my arms at home and is now buried in the garden alongside Tilly.”
James admitted that while he “knew this day was coming, it doesn’t make it any easier.” He added, “Goodnight my darling Ella, Alizee and the dogs will take good care of me.”
Following her death, James revealed in an essay for The Sunday Times that “all the family” said their goodbyes to Ella. “Burying her; that was the worst. It took me four hours because I knew once I had finished digging, that would be the final farewell. All the family came to say their goodbyes,” he wrote. “I can’t speak for them but I believe she influenced their lives too. Lupo, Catherine and William’s dog, is one of Ella’s puppies. My sister Pippa and her husband have a pup from Ella, as do other family members.”
James continued, “Everybody knew how much she meant to me and there was a day they feared the most: the day Ella was no longer in my life. She meant something to all of them too.”