James Middleton Describes ‘Packing Up the Car and Driving Somewhere’ for Childhood Vacations with Sisters Kate and Pippa
Even as adults, “we always make sure that we spend time as a wider family so that the cousins get to spend time together,” James told 'The Sunday Times'
Jeff Spicer/Getty ; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty ; Stuart C. Wilson/Getty
James Middleton attends the GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2019 at Tate Modern on Sept. 3, 2019; Catherine, Princess of Wales attends the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Coach Core at the Copper Box Arena on Oct. 13, 2022 in London, England; Pippa Middleton attends the British Heart Foundation Beating Hearts Ball at Guildhall on Feb. 27, 2019 in London, EnglandJames Middleton is shedding light on his family vacations, past and present.
In a Dec. 29 interview with The Sunday Times, the younger brother of Kate Middleton opened up about vacations when he was a child with older sisters Kate and Pippa Middleton and their parents Carole and Michael.
“Holidays tended to be packing up the car and driving somewhere,” James, 37, told the outlet. “My parents, sisters and I would visit different places in the Swiss Alps each summer, such as Les Masses, or we’d go to Avoriaz in France.”
Andrew Milligan - WPA Pool/Getty
Pippa and James Middleton, siblings of Catherine, Princess of Wales arrive at the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England“Dad would find a mountain refuge where we’d have a rather sloppy soup-like meal for tea, but we were so hungry from a day of hiking that it tasted amazing,” he continued. “Then we would fall fast asleep in our bunk — we’d sleep on one long bunk, all five of us — surrounded by other walkers. The next day we’d wake up early, put our walking boots back on and continue our trek, ending up in another village.”
James went on to describe “distinct memories of the beautiful butterflies, wildflower meadows and the sounds of cowbells — and those memories came back to life this summer when we took Inigo to Valmoral in the French Alps to visit Alizée’s family,” referring to his wife, Alizée Thevenet, and their 1-year-old son, Inigo.
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty
Alizee Middleton and James Middleton attend the switch on of Bulgari's iconic Serpenti Christmas lights at its flagship boutique with a star studded party in conjunction with Save The Children, on Nov. 12, 2021 in London, England“There were the same smells, the same marmot calls; it was a pinch-me moment that brought me back to childhood summers when I’d hike up mountains with a rucksack that was bigger than me,” James added. “I can’t wait for Inigo to form those sorts of memories.”
After the Princess of Wales, 42, announced her cancer diagnosis in March, those trips to the mountains factored into her brother’s tribute to her. On March 22, the same day Kate announced to the public via a video message that she had been diagnosed with cancer, James posted a show of support for her, writing on social media alongside a photo of the two of them in their younger years wearing backpacks in front of a mountainous backdrop: “Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together,” he wrote. “As a family, we will climb this one with you too.”
“Mountains play a huge role in my life,” he told The Sunday Times. “They remind us that we’re vulnerable; you’ve got to respect them.”
James also told The Sunday Times that “Growing up, we’d also head to the Lake District, staying in rented cottages around Coniston Water and Windermere. It’s a very special place for us as a family, and the adventures we’d get up to as kids, from rock climbing on the crags to exploring the caves, were like something from The Famous Five.”
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Carole Middleton, Michael Middleton, James Middleton, Alizee Thevenet and Pippa Middleton attend the 'Together At Christmas' Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on Dec. 6, 2024 in London, England“Now [that] we’re adults we always make sure that we spend time as a wider family so that the cousins get to spend time together, especially around Christmas,” James added.
Kate shares three children — Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 — with husband Prince William; Pippa also has three children with husband James Matthews, Arthur, 6, Grace, 3, and Rose, 2. In a September interview with Hello!, James said that both Kate and Pippa had given him baby clothes for Inigo, all of which were hand-me-downs from their own kids.
“They are milestones, because [my sisters] remember when their child was wearing something, and how old they were — it takes them back,” James said. “It’s a lovely thing for them.”
LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R) and her sister Pippa Middleton talk in the Royal Box before the men's singles final match between Britain's Andy Murray and Switzerland's Roger Federer on Centre Court on day 13 of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 8, 2012Related: James Middleton: 'We Speak More Openly Now About Mental Health as a Family' (Exclusive)
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
As for his own family of three in 2025, “Alizée and I would both love to explore Norway next year,” James told The Sunday Times. “I want to see the fjords. We also love ski touring — it’s fantastic exercise and you really feel like you deserve your fondue afterwards — and that’s something we want to try in Scandinavia. Inigo’s walking, so he’s almost ready for skis.”
Read the original article on People
