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James Middleton

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James Middleton
Born
James William Middleton

(1987-04-15) 15 April 1987 (age 37)
Reading, Berkshire, England
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
Alma mater
OccupationBusinessman
Spouse
Alizée Thevenet
​
(m. 2021)​
Children1
Parents
FamilyMiddleton

James William Middleton (born 15 April 1987)[1] is a British entrepreneur who is the younger brother of Catherine, Princess of Wales.

Born in Reading, Berkshire, Middleton was educated at St Andrew's School, Pangbourne. He briefly attended the University of Edinburgh before dropping out and founding a cake-making business. Middleton began receiving media attention during his eldest sister's relationship with and subsequent marriage to Prince William. He is a mental health advocate and has spoken about his experiences with major depressive disorder.[2] Middleton is also an ambassador for the Pets As Therapy charity.[3]

Early life and education

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James William Middleton was born on 15 April 1987 at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading,[1] the youngest child and only son of Michael Middleton (born 1949), a former British Airways flight dispatcher,[4] and Carole Middleton (born 1955), a former flight attendant.[5][6][7] His father came from a line of solicitors who lived in Leeds, West Yorkshire. His great-grandmother Olive Middleton was a member of the Lupton family, who were landed gentry.[8][9] His mother's family were labourers and miners from County Durham.[7][10][11] Shortly before his birth, Middleton's parents founded Party Pieces, a mail-order party supply company.[12] His elder sisters are Catherine (born 1982) and Philippa (born 1983).[13] The family lived in Bradfield Southend, Berkshire, before moving to the nearby village of Bucklebury in 1995.[14][15][16] Middleton was educated at St Andrew's School, Pangbourne, and Marlborough College.[17][18] In 2006, he attended the University of Edinburgh, studying environmental resources management before dropping out a year later.[19][20]

Career

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Middleton's cake-making business, now defunct, was inspired by reading that a mother's baking is a highly evocative childhood memory.[19] He supplied baking kits so home bakers would be able to get all the ingredients in one place for adventurous creations such as "football cakes".[19] He started baking in the family kitchen and expanded into a freight container and converted barns.[19] Themed birthday cake baking kits were distributed by his parents' company, Party Pieces.[19][21]

Themed cakes were later provided for companies such as Jigsaw, 3 and Ralph Lauren.[19] Middleton caused "shudders" at Buckingham Palace after taking part in a Hello magazine photoshoot for which he was commissioned to bake 21 cakes commemorating its 21st birthday, each iced with one of the magazine's front covers – amongst them, several members of the royal family, including Diana, Princess of Wales.[22] The business won Smarta 100 and Haines Watts Young Entrepreneur awards.[23] In April 2011, he registered three businesses: Nice Cakes, Nice Wine, and Nice Group London and planned to expand the Cake Kit Company.[19][22] The Cake Kit Company was dissolved in 2015.[24] In May 2020, Middleton launched Ella & Co, a mail order dog food company that offers freeze-dried, raw, organic dog food.[25]

boomf

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Boomf
Company typePrivate
IndustryPersonalised confectionery
FoundedNovember 2013
FoundersJames Middleton and Andy Bell
HeadquartersReading and London, England
Area served
Global
Websitewww.boomf.com

In 2013, Middleton and Andy Bell[26] founded boomf, a company that makes personalised marshmallows and greeting cards.[27][28] Middleton had previously founded Nice Cakes, which specialised in personalised cakes.[29][30] Bell had previously founded Mint Digital,[26] which created StickyGram (now Sticky9), an Instagram magnet company which sold to PhotoBox.[31]

Boomf launched in November 2013 without mentioning Middleton's involvement, to allow for a low profile launch.[32] In January 2014, Boomf announced Middleton's involvement, believing that it would be impossible to keep it secret long-term.[29]

In 2014, Boomf raised over $1m and was backed by a number of angel investors, including Nick Jenkins, founder of Moonpig, Duncan Jennings and Matt Wheeler.[26] Boomf shipped 2 tons of marshmallows in its first year and made £100,000 ($168,000) in sales in its first three months.[33]

In 2015, the company raised funds at a valuation of £10m.[34] Boomf made a loss of £3 million between 2015 and 2018.[35] In July 2015, Boomf launched a nationwide search for a new marshmallow designer. The winner was Bournemouth University student Izzy Burton.[36]

Middleton's brother-in-law, hedge fund manager James Matthews paid Middleton €110,000 for 12,800 Boomf shares.[37] In 2019, Middleton announced that the company had reached profitability with an income of £176,000 in the previous year - and an increase in sales of up to £4.4 million from £2.8 million in the previous year.[38] The company moved into new offices in Reading with circa 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) to warehouse space. [39]

Boomf raised $1m of funding in 2021,[40] but by December 2021 the company had fallen into administration owing £800,000 to creditors, including £146,306 to HM Revenue and Customs.[41][42] Creditors voluntary liquidation commenced on 4 November 2022.[43]

Personal life

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Middleton has hosted deer stalking parties at Glen Affric Estate, owned by the family of Philippa's husband[44][45]

Middleton is dyslexic.[46] He read from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible at the 2011 wedding of his sister Catherine to Prince William.[47] In 2019, he disclosed his struggles with depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which he attributed to public scrutiny from age 23 as a result of his eldest sister's relationship.[48][49] He sought treatment in 2017, undertaking cognitive behavioral therapy.[49][50] Middleton also spent "restorative time" at the Glen Affric Estate, where he has hosted deer-stalking parties. The estate is owned by his sister Philippa's father-in-law.[49][44][45] In the same year, he penned a column in the Daily Mail about mental health.[51][52]

Middleton is an ambassador for the Pets As Therapy charity and has credited his dog, Ella, for helping him through his depression.[53][50] He breeds dogs, owning six, as well as one rescue lamb.[54][55][56] Middleton also keeps bees on the grounds of Bucklebury Manor.[57][58] In April 2020, he founded the Paw Print Fund in aid of animal welfare charities.[55]

Middleton was in a relationship with actress Donna Air from 2013 to 2018.[59] Middleton met French financial analyst Alizée Thevenet (b. 30 November 1989) in 2018 and announced their engagement in September 2019.[60][61] They planned to wed in summer 2020 but postponed the event twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[62] The couple married on 11 September 2021, in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France; his wife wore the 1980s wedding dress belonging to Carole Middleton, her mother-in-law.[63][64] The couple welcomed their first child in September 2023.[65][66]

Arms

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Coat of arms of James Middleton
Notes
The arms of James William Middleton are the arms of his father differenced by a gold label. In heraldry, the label is the mark of the first son.
Crest
A Rock Argent, thereon a Wolf sejant Azure, gorged with a Collar of Roses Argent, barbed and seeded proper, supporting in the dexter forepaw a Caduceus Or, serpent Gules, labeled Or.
Escutcheon
Per pale Azure and Gules, a chevron Or, cotised Argent, between three acorns slipped and leaved Or (Middleton).
Symbolism
The dividing line (between two colours) down the centre is a canting of the name 'Middle-ton'. The acorns (from the oak tree) are a traditional symbol of England and a feature of west Berkshire, where the family lived. The three acorns also denote the family's three children. The gold chevron in the centre of the arms is an allusion to Carole Middleton's maiden name of Goldsmith. The two white chevronels (narrow chevrons above and below the gold chevron) symbolise peaks and mountains, and the family's love of the Lake District and skiing.[67]

Bibliography

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Books

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  • Middleton, James (2024). Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life. Radar. ISBN 978-1804192504.

Articles

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References

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  2. ^ Slater, Georgia (24 June 2019). "James Middleton opens up about suffering from 'crippling' depression". USA Today. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  3. ^ Brunetti, Nic (12 January 2019). "James Middleton reveals his battle with the 'cancer' of depression". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  4. ^ Rayner, Gordon (16 November 2010). "Royal wedding: Kate Middleton's family background". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  5. ^ Ancestry of Kate Middleton Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine at wargs.com, accessed 4 January 2011
  6. ^ Berlau, John (28 April 2011). "The Entrepreneurs' Princess". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  7. ^ a b Bradford, Sarah (29 April 2011). "Like the Queen Mother and Diana, Kate has the common touch". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  8. ^ - A Photographic Archive of Leeds, Leodis. "Headingley Castle". Leodis – UK Gov. Leeds. UK Leeds Gov. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014. The Luptons of Leeds were landed gentry; a political and business dynasty.
  9. ^ Harris, C. (2015). "The Canadian Encyclopaedia - Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge". Archived from the original on 23 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022. Her paternal great-grandmother, Olive Lupton, was a member of the wealthy Lupton family, woolen manufacturers and members of the landed gentry from Leeds. The Lupton family trust would fund the private education of Kate and her siblings. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ Duncan, Pearl (24 April 2011). "The History of Families New and Long Lost: An American Compares Coat of Arms with Kate Middleton's". History News Network. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
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  22. ^ a b Eden, Richard (24 April 2011). "Kate Middleton's brother wants a bigger slice of the cake". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
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  27. ^ Hyde, Marine (6 May 2016). "Boomf! James Middleton's printed marshmallow business puffed up by investors". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  28. ^ Lodi, Mari (6 October 2019). "Kate Middleton's Brother is Engaged". The Cut. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  29. ^ a b Bryant, Martin (23 January 2014). "James Middleton, Brother of the Duchess of Cambridge: The Man Behind Boomf's Instagram Marshmallows". TNW Blog. The Next Web. Archived from the original on 24 January 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
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  31. ^ Titcomb, James (24 June 2013). "Printing Site PhotoBox Snaps Up London-Based Instagram Firm". City A.M. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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  35. ^ "Kate Middleton's brother is working as a tour guide in Scottish hotel after company woes". 30 September 2018. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  36. ^ Kaur, Melisha (19 July 2015). "Duchess of Cambridge's brother James Middleton chooses artistic collaborator and apprentice for marshmallow brand Boomf". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  37. ^ "James Middleton's marshmallow firm has just recorded massive losses". Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  38. ^ Ward, Fiona (17 August 2019). "James Middleton reveals exciting news: 'It's a wonderful feeling'". Hello!. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
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  40. ^ Dunsby, Megan (8 August 2014). "Kate Middleton's brother secures over $1m for Boomf marshmallow start-up". Startups. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  41. ^ "Appointment of an administrator". Companies House. Archived from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  42. ^ "Duchess of Cambridge's brother James Middleton's failed firm owes £800k". The Times. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.(subscription required)
  43. ^ "08765823 LIMITED insolvency - Find and update company information". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 26 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
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  53. ^ DeSantis, Marissa (19 August 2020). "James Middleton says he 'owes life' to dog Ella who helped with his depression". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
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  57. ^ Wallace, Rachel (30 June 2020). "Kate Middleton's Brother Opens Up About His Unexpected Hobby". Architectural Digest. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  58. ^ Coke, Hope (29 June 2020). "Beekeeping is the new A-list trend to get on board with now, says James Middleton". Tatler. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  59. ^ McBridge, Caitlin. "Kate Middleton's brother James 'splits with girlfriend of four years' Donna Air". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  60. ^ "5 Things to Know About James Middleton's Fiancee Alizee Thevenet". Us Weekly. 28 June 2021. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  61. ^ Pasquini, Maria (6 October 2019). "James Middleton 'Couldn't Be Happier' About Engagement to Alizee Thevenet as She Debuts Sapphire Ring". People. Archived from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  62. ^ Greco, Alanna Lauren (21 March 2020). "Kate Middleton's Brother James Is Delaying His Wedding to Alizee Thevenet Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  63. ^ Beard, Lanford. "James Middleton Is Married — and His Dog Photobombed the Newlyweds!". People. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  64. ^ Cope, R. (20 September 2021). "Something borrowed: Alizee Thevenet wore mother-in-law Carole Middleton's wedding dress". Tatler. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  65. ^ Henni, Janine (26 October 2023). "Kate Middleton's Brother James and His Wife Alizee Thevenet Welcome First Baby". People. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  66. ^ Petit, Stephanie (27 October 2023). "James Middleton Reveals Baby Boy's Unique Name — Which Is Famous from The Princess Bride!". People. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  67. ^ "The arms of Miss Catherine Middleton". College of Arms. 1 May 2011. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
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Further reading

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