James Middleton, brother to the Princess of Wales, recently shared a charming photograph of his two-year-old son, Inigo, engaging with the family's golden retrievers. The image was posted to Instagram to commemorate the fourth birthday of one of the dogs, Isla.
In the picture, Inigo is seen playing with two golden retrievers, Mabel and Isla, amidst a field of flowers. He is dressed in a navy and white striped jumper, matching trousers, and boots. Middleton captioned the photo, "Happy 4th birthday, Isla."
Among those who acknowledged Isla's birthday was Monty Don, a horticulturist and television presenter. Don adopted Isla's brother, Ned, from Middleton in 2022. He recounted to The Sunday Times how James Middleton had reached out after reading his book about his dog Nigel, offering a puppy from a litter that resembled Nigel. Ned and Isla were later reunited at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Middleton first introduced Isla to his followers in October 2022, explaining that the puppy was from Mabel's litter and that her name was a tribute to her Scottish roots. Isla shares her name with Isla Phillips, granddaughter of Princess Anne.
This update follows Middleton's recent emotional revelation that he joined his sister, Catherine, for portions of her Three Peaks Challenge. He completed part of the strenuous endurance event with her to honor a promise made after her cancer diagnosis. Middleton shared a photograph of himself with Catherine, taken by royal photographer Matt Porteous, expressing pride in his sister's strength and resilience.
He described joining Catherine for the challenge, which involves climbing three of the UK's highest peaks within 24 hours, as an honor. Catherine undertook the challenge to promote messages about life after cancer and to raise funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Middleton praised her determination, especially 18 months after she completed chemotherapy treatment and entered remission.
James and his wife, Alizée Thevenet, welcomed their son Inigo in September 2023. Previously, on Inigo's second birthday, James shared a photo of his son embracing Mabel, writing, "We love you as much as you love Mabel… and that is a lot and Ella is saying hello today too." Ella was James's cocker spaniel who passed away in January 2023 and was the subject of his memoir.
Middleton, who runs the dog food brand Ella & Co, has been open about his past struggles with depression, crediting nature, animals, and fatherhood with positively impacting his mental health. He previously detailed his journey with mental health on Instagram, noting the importance of learning about the subject after his clinical depression diagnosis.
In April, Middleton shared photos of his mother, Carole Middleton, reading to Inigo. He had also recently spoken about the pressures of social media, revealing he had taken a break during Lent. He returned to the platform with images of his mother and son, sharing that the break had been "wonderful."