Kate Middleton's brother has come under fire for apparently trying to cash in on baby Archie's birth

Whether you’re a fan or not, you can’t escape the Royal Family. On every Royal engagement or special occasion, Royal fever hits the public and tabloids are taken up by the stories and scandals of the family members we all know and love.
It’s not just the Windsors that conjure up a lot of interest, the extended family members of in-laws also tend to get a lot of attention too. Especially when the press like to uncover something controversial or shock-worthy. Move over Charles and Camilla – whenever there is a new engagement announced, the interest in the new in-laws takes center stage.
One person that has got a lot of press over the years is Kate Middleton’s brother James, and most recently he has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. After Prince Harry and Meghan’s Markle’s new baby boy, Archie was born on May 6, 2019,, James was accused of doing the ultimate family betrayal – cashing in on the story! Here’s a look at who James Middleton really is, and the latest scoop on what Kate’s brother has been accused of.

The younger brother

James Middleton was born in 1987 as the youngest of three children. His childhood was fantastic, and he is now part of the most famous family in the world. After his sister Kate’s wedding to Prince William in 2011, reports have surfaced that James and sister Pippa have felt like a shadow in the background, especially James.

But who exactly is James Middleton? And why are people saying that he’s trying to cash in on Baby Archie?

Growing up

According to James himself, he found his childhood rather difficult. Growing up, he battled learning difficulties, finding it hard to fit in well with school and excel in his grades. James was also diagnosed with dyslexia, which meant he found it hard to read and write. In a recent interview, James revealed that at one point, he couldn’t even spell his own name.

He said he’s always had to work extra hard to get to where he wanted to be. He even attended Edinburgh University, but lasted only one year. James was never really the academic type, instead, he was a charming, ambitious hard-working young man. James turned to business and this was where he really came into his own.

Wedding reading

With his big sister marrying a Prince, James wanted to be a great little brother and decided he would take up their offer to make a speech at the ceremony. Although he was nervous, James was committed to making sure it was perfect for showing how much his sister Kate meant to him.

With James being dyslexic, this was not an easy task. James has since revealed that the only way he could get through the reading successfully was by writing down the words phonetically to ensure he didn’t mess it up. With billions of people watching, he managed to get through it.

Part of the family

With his sister now a beloved member of the Royal Family, and her legacy now a huge part of Britain’s future, James can now consider himself a part of their empire too. At the end of the day, he is the future King’s brother-in-law! However, recently, there was a particular scandal that came to light regarding James and Prince Harry.

There’s no doubt that Archie’s birth in May 2019 bought a lot of love and happiness to the Royal Family, but unfortunately, on occasions, loved ones decide to make the most of all this media attention by cashing in on the happenings going on. One person who has been accused of this is James Middleton.

Company newsletter

So, what did he do? Well, James is known for starting his own personalized marshmallow company called Boomf, and on the day of Archie’s birth, his company newsletter was accused of taking advantage of his birth. Just hours after Archie’s arrival was announced, an email was sent out titled “Boy, oh boy, what a royally exciting time to become a new parent!”

James was quite obviously using the birth of Archie as a marketing technique for advertising his marshmallow products. But was it sneaky? Or was it an innocent way of rejoicing in the happy times? According to James himself, he was really happy about the new Royal Family member, especially as his own niece and nephews were about to meet their first cousin!

A sneaky email

The email continued by saying that every parent deserves to have their “prince or princess” showered in confetti, which then led on to advertise the Boomf Bomb – a product that does exactly that.

It was a rather obvious use of advertising, and the newsletter must have grabbed some attention along the way with the amount of Royal baby fever that was in the air at the time. So was his email a clever marketing grab? Or was it inconsiderate and rude exploitation of what should have been a precious family moment?

Bad manners

The newsletter certainly got a lot of attention, but one person who had an opinion was Daily Mail editor Ingrid Seward. Although everyone is entitled to their point of view, many readers couldn’t help but think she may have enjoyed stirring the pot a little.

She is the Royal commentator for the Daily Mail and just days after the newsletter was sent out, Ingrid described it as bad taste, labeling Jame’s decision as “not very good manners.”

A failing company

James’ newsletter wasn’t the first time that the Royal Family has been cashed in on – and it certainly won’t be the last. Perhaps James should have thought twice? Some people are saying that it was desperate, especially seen as his company Boomf is thought to be financially struggling.

It’s been reported that since it was established in 2013, Boomf has lost a total of $1,270,000. Is James really that desperate to make his failing company work?

Not the only one

Well it does indeed look like James is financially struggling, as recently he has taken a job at the Scottish hotel owned by the family of Pippa’s husband James Matthews. He’s likely trying to get some extra coins in his pocket. His parents have also been accused in the past of cashing in on their family.

Last year, around the time of Harry and Meghan’s wedding, his parent’s business Party Pieces sold a variety of royal-themed decorations and confetti. Michael and Carole Middleton have since explained that it had nothing to do with money.

A recent encounter

After the whole ordeal of the newsletter at the beginning of May, it was just a week or two later that James ran into the man himself – Prince Harry. They met at the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor on May 18, 2019.

Although there is no official scoop on whether or not they had any words, there is thought to be no hard feelings between them. A wedding is a place for joy, so even if there were things that needed to be said, it certainly wasn’t the place to do so.

A celebration?

James has since spoken out about the negative press he has received about the untimely newsletter. When asked what he thought about what everyone was saying, James described it as “a bit far-fetched” to call it as cashing in.

Instead, he said it was “more of a celebration”, wanting to join in on the excitement that had been building within the public for months leading up to Archie’s arrival. James was offended, knowing he would never intentionally take advantage of his family, under any circumstances.

Or cashing in?

James’ newsletter may well have been an honest way of showing his excitement, but there are other people out there that don’t believe his words. Although he can say it was a way of expressing his happiness to the watching world, there was no way he didn’t realize that it was a way he could make some extra money.

He used something going on in his life and profited from it – definitely a smart marketing technique.

New girlfriend

Whatever James’ intentions were, we’re sure that he was just as happy for Harry and Meghan as everyone else. James’ life has also seen some recent romantic ventures too, as Lady Gabriella’s wedding was an opportunity for him to show his new girlfriend to the world for the first time.

Her name is Alizee Thevenet, and the couple has been dating for around a year now, having first met in Summer 2018. She is French and works in finance, with the ability to speak French, English, and Spanish. Impressive.

Making a statement

Everyone knows that a wedding is an excellent opportunity to get suited and booted or slip into a beautiful new dress. The Royals tend to look especially glamorous, fascinating us on every occasion with the spectacular designer dresses that they get to wear.

However, this time it was Alizee who stole the show, but for unexpected reasons. Instead of opting for an expensive designer outfit, she wore a $60 off-the-rack dress that looked just as beautiful as the others!

New families

Whether you like it or not, if you are a member of the extended Royal Family like James is, you will unfortunately not be able to avoid the press. In-laws also get the attention too! Although he is not technically Royalty himself, James is considered part of the family just by association.

This comes with a lot of public interest, and they are instantly transformed from an ordinary citizen to a public figure.

Part of the family

However, James is not just part of the Royal Family. According to sources, James and Alizee’s relationship is going from strength to strength, and her family has welcomed him in with open arms, too.

He’s even got a seal of approval from her father Jean-Gabriel Thevenet, who has told the press that he’s a very charming man. He added that his fingers are crossed for him and his daughter as he thinks they could be really happy together.

Mental health

Life in the spotlight comes with being part of the Royal Family, whether you asked for it or not. However, this constant public scrutiny can take a toll on some people.

In an interview in January 2019, James stood forward and bravely opened up about his struggles with clinical depression, explaining how he thinks it’s vital that people are open and honest about any mental health problems they may be going through.

Animal therapy

James spoke about how he uses pets as a form of therapy that has helped him personally. He is a huge advocator for Pets As Therapy, which is an organization founded in 1983 that allows those who are struggling with mental health issues to interact with loving animals to make them feel better.

James himself own six dogs, and he knows all too well how much animals can take you away from your darkest thoughts.

An online presence

James explained how, when he felt most alone and isolated from the world, his dogs helped him pick up the pieces again. His personal social media page demonstrates how much he loves his dogs, with one particular post paying respect to his dog Tilly, who passed away at the age of 17.

He wrote: “Dogs live brave, beautiful lives. They love you, protect you, and make all of our lives that little bit brighter.”

A trusted man

Despite the controversy that has surrounded James’ name, it has recently been announced that he will be godfather to the son of life-long friends Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams. The couple are both British reality TV stars and have been friends with James for years.

Fortunately for James, they decided to elect him as one of the honorary titles of godparents. James is quite obviously a well-trusted man who is different from the man that negative tabloid press often paint him out to be.

Fame

If Kate Middleton hadn’t married Prince William, in turn becoming a Princess, then the chances are that James and the rest of his family would be living a sheltered life away from the spotlight. Fame takes hold of anyone that begins to get media attention, and James has since spoken about his family’s newfound status.

He said it hasn’t been easy and he finds it frustrating that even though he is the brother of someone considered very important, he wants people to remember that he is “Just James.”

Scottish solitude

James has recently moved up to Scotland, more specifically to an area called Glen Affric. It’s a place of serene natural beauty, around 15 miles away from Loch Ness. He has taken up a job at the hotel owned by his sister’s father-in-law.

It is a family-run hotel and is considered a super luxury estate, wowing all those who visit with its gorgeous interior and breathtaking surrounding views. James is thought to have moved here for a bit to get away from the hustle and bustle of life in London.

Looking to the future

The British public and the rest of the watching world took James under their wing as soon as we met him at his sister’s wedding in 2011. Despite suffering from dyslexia, his passionate and sweet reading shows how having bravery and determination means you can achieve anything.

Never let anyone or anything hold you back. Despite the setback of the newsletter controversy, James is sure to hit more headlines in the future as someone who is certainly now well connected to the Royal Family.

Best Friends

Perhaps it was James’ best friend Spencer Matthews, who is also the brother of Pippa’s husband, who led him astray as he has been involved in plenty of scandals and controversies. It seems that now he has grown up as he is now married with a family of his own but perhaps this ties in with the drama that surrounds James.

Labeled the “posh boy” Spencer regularly made the news in England for a long line of different antics and escapades. The family certainly have wealth but it has come to light that they have also suffered some serious sadness.

Troubled Past

Spencer had a younger brother named Michael, who sadly in 1999, passed away at just 22 years of age. The youngest sibling was climbing Mount Everest and breaking the record for the youngest climber to ever reach the summit.

His parents opened the famed Eden Rock Hotel in St Barts and from there the family spent their time between the island and London.

Chelsea Boys

From a young age, Spencer began working as a trader and was quick to be earning $150,000 a year, after that, he began filming a reality show, Made In Chelsea. Gaining a rapid reputation as the local lothario he was often causing trouble between the girls on the show and was known for breaking a few hearts.

He released an autobiography in 2013 called “Confessions of a Chelsea boy” which saw him admit to plenty that should have probably been kept to himself, included some stories about James. The book was said to cause some issues when Pippa and James wanted to officially announce their relationship.

Too Open

Spencer has been open about experimenting with certain forbidden things and this is something he has never shied away from talking about. He said, “I don’t condone drugs and am uncomfortable about appearing to glamourize them. But I need to tackle the subject with total honesty.”

He has also had pictures leaked that he would have preferred to have stayed quiet, “The picture was taken in a private situation without him knowing and Spencer is mortified that tens of thousands of people have now seen it.”