James Middleton Recalls Royal Mishap With Queen Elizabeth

James Middleton didn’t make the impression he wanted on Queen Elizabeth at his sister Kate Middleton‘s birthday party one year. In his new book, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, the entrepreneur recounted the “memorable” royal mishap he experienced with the late queen after she graciously invited him and his other sister Pippa to Sandringham for the Princess of Wales’s royal tea party.

Revealing that he and Pippa were in a hurry to get there following a late-night flight from France to Gatwick, James noted that they then drove to Bucklebury to pack. “Pippa and I were late for Catherine’s birthday party, which, in the normal run of things, wouldn’t have mattered too much, but this time the Queen had kindly offered to host the teatime gathering at Sandringham,” James wrote, noting it made their tardiness “a bit more memorable.” 

After going into a panic over the standard of his ironing and a lost cufflink, James explained that he and Pippa finally made it to the event “breathless and flustered” with “barely any time” to spare. James went on to admit that he had rehearsed what he was going to say to the queen upon his arrival, but it didn’t go exactly as planned. 

“I bounded downstairs two at a time and burst into the room where everyone was gathered for tea, nearly colliding with Her Majesty,” he said, adding: “Just as I made my entrance, the Queen and Prince Philip were preparing to leave. Pippa followed closely behind, and there we were, stumbling into the royal gathering in quite the unceremonious fashion.” 

Thrown off his game by the incident, James forgot what he was going to say. “In my blind panic, I blurted: ‘I’m so sorry we’re late, Your Royal Majesty,’ which caused everyone to stifle their laughter.” 

James continued, “I heard a snort of laughter and looked past the Queen to see everyone in the room stifling their giggles.” The Queen replied: ‘Oh, how lovely to see you, James. You must be hungry. Make sure you have something to eat.'”

Despite the awkward encounter, James also has fond memories of Queen Elizabeth, too. Elsewhere in his book, James recalled doing a puzzle with Her Majesty one Christmas. “It was the sort of activity I’d have enjoyed with my own grandparents, all four of whom had died within the space of three years when I was a teenager,” James wrote, explaining that the moment “still feels surreal” to this day.

He added, “The fact that I was there with the Queen. I look back on it with amazement.”