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The Princess of Wales ’ brother has more than one Valentine. James Middleton penned a heartfelt tribute to his wife Alizée Thevenet, as well as his late dog Ella in a post to mark the holiday on Wednesday (Feb. 14).
“I was lost, and Ella found Alizee. Together, they saved me. Ella led me to my soul mate, my everything. For that reason I will always have two valentines… ❤️❤️,” he captioned a sweet image of Alizée cuddling Ella.
According to The Telegraph , James’ beloved dog Ella approached Alizée in the South Kensington Club, where they were both having meetings in the summer of 2018. The couple went on to get married in September of 2021.
James announced in January 2023 that Ella 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,” he penned. “Ella had a very short illness, she slipped away in my arms at home and is now buried in the garden alongside Tilly. I took this picture just a few hours before she died.”
“I’m just about holding it together to write this, and despite the fact I knew this day was coming, it doesn’t make it any easier,” James continued. “Goodnight my darling Ella, Alizee and the dogs will take good care of me.”
On the James & Ella website, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ maternal uncle shared that Ella was the first dog he ever owned by himself and noted that it was largely because of her that he was able to overcome his struggles with mental health.
When James introduced his and Alizée’s first child, Inigo, last October, he included a photo of his hand holding a pendant of Ella. Alongside the post, the Princess of Wales’ brother wrote, “We have settled into our new life as parents and I’ve told him all about Ella and that if it wasn’t for her he wouldn’t be here today and that we miss her greatly. The dogs have been fantastic at welcoming their little brother into the pack.”