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]
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]
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]
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 on 21 September 2023.[65][66][67]
Arms
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.[68]
Bibliography
Books
Middleton, James (2024). Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life. Radar. ISBN978-1804192504.
^- 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.
^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)
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