The Terrifying Scare The Middleton Family Endured While Kate Was Pregnant

It's well-known that Kate Middleton moved in with her parents during her first pregnancy. However, one detail that hasn't been spoken about until more recently is the terrifying accident James Middleton's dog had during that time — or, for that matter, the chaos that ensued.

In his 2024 autobiography, "Meet Ella," the Princess of Wales' younger brother recounts the story of his then-puppy Zulu's near-fatal mishap. The dog had been at his parents' home, and James was on his way to London when he got a call saying there had been an accident. He raced back to Bucklebury Manor, and in addition to seeing a firetruck and realizing an unmarked police car had been behind him all the way, he quickly noticed that Carole Middleton was injured. "There was mum, one arm soaked in blood, vainly trying to calm a distressed and frantically wriggling dog whose head had become stuck between the gatepost and the gate," he recalls, noting that Zulu had bitten her as she tried to keep him from snapping his neck while trying to pull free. 

Together with his father Michael Middleton, James used a crowbar to create enough space for Zulu to be freed, and he was rushed to the vet. Thankfully, the pup was fine, albeit with a lengthy recovery in store. Even so, James wrote that he felt incredibly guilty over the situation. In particular, he mentioned that he was concerned over how the ordeal might have affected his heavily pregnant sister. It stands to reason that it would likely have been distressing for the then-Duchess of Cambridge. After all, in addition to it being terrifying for anyone, some may remember that James' adorable wedding gift to Kate had been a puppy named Lupo — who was actually Zulu's brother.

While it made sense that James Middleton was worried about how Zulu's freak accident might have affected the now-Princess of Wales, it turns out that the two ended up having something else to bond over as a result. 

Of course, Kate Middleton has always had a close relationship with her brother, and the Middleton siblings even share the interesting hobby of beekeeping. However, it just so happened that Prince George's late-night feeds ended up coinciding with James' checks on Zulu. That wasn't all, though: Zulu's injuries rendered him incontinent at one point, meaning James and his royal older sister were both on diaper duty at the same time. As for Michael and Carole Middleton, James wrote that even his father, who had never been a dog person, had become quite the doting dog grandpa. "He'd find special treats for Zulu, and bought him a new dog bed. Once I caught him tucking him in for the night," he wrote. James added that he'd also overheard Michael introducing Zulu to people as his own dog, much to his amusement. 

More than a decade after the scary incident, Zulu is doing just fine. In fact, he has puppies of his own, and back in 2020, James shared a sweet snap to Instagram to wish him a happy Father's Day. "Whether you are teaching Nala how to wag her tail so fast it spins her round or how to pose for photos ... you are a fantastic daddy and we are all lucky to have you in our life!" he gushed. We're glad to hear this story has a happy ending!