Getty ImagesKate Middleton and Pippa Middleton's younger brother finally has opened up about his life.
The famously private sibling, James Middleton opened up to the Daily Mail about his life as a brother-in-law to the future King of England, as well as his personal life growing up as the younger brother to popular girls Kate and Pippa. But being known as their brother has been a qualifier he has been forced to get used to over the years.
"It's always been, whether at school or now, that I am Pippa and Catherine's little brother," he explained. "It's probably going to be the story of my life. [But] I am James Middleton. I am very proud to be 'the little brother of…' but, equally, they are proud that I am who I am."
Owner of a personalized marshmallow company, James has been in an on-again, off-again relationship with actress and presenter Donna Air, 37. Currently, they're back together but are keeping the details of their relationship private. Rumors said they split because of her desire for more children (she already has one child from a former partner).
"Yes, it is. I can't say everything that is happening with us," James, 29, told the publication. "We are thinking about where we are going next. I love Donna very much and [her daughter] Freya is very much part of Donna, and I love them both equally. It's not 'Donna' and 'Oh, she has a child.' That's not how I've ever seen it...Marriage is absolutely not something I'm scared of [but it] isn't necessarily the be all and end all."
He did, however, make it perfectly clear that he doesn't want her going anywhere. "We are quite purposeful, forward-thinking people, so we needed wind in our sails in order to progress," he admitted. "She makes me very happy [and] I think I make her very happy. I want children. I've said that before. I will have children, but you'll have to wait."
Although he's quite confident now, James often felt insecure growing up because he wasn't as athletic or as smart as his older sisters.
"My sisters were very successful and confident. It was, 'Oh, you are Pippa's brother! Are you Catherine's brother?' And so I was automatically put into the top sports teams and academic sets," he explained. "But I was a bit of a squirt when I first started, so then it would be, 'Are you sure you're a Middleton?'"
Despite not always fitting in, James made sure to protect his sisters, especially after Kate started dating Prince William.
"I used to be first up in the morning to make sure I could get to the papers and rip out any stories about my sister, so nobody would see them and there would be no conversations about them" he recalled.
But Middleton mania didn't start overnight. James admitted that Kate and Prince William's relationship was slow to roll in the beginning. "It was a gradual progression. Of course, there was a sense of, 'Oh my God, things are changing,' and 'Why are so many people interested in us?' he said.
"As a family, I don't think there is any particular 'policy' on [handling it]," he said. "But I suppose it's about respect, respecting the position we are in. It's making sure you don't overstep the mark. These aren't rules that are written out. It is a general understanding. The fact that you get times when [our lives are] broadcast to everybody brings us closer together."