James Middleton has opened up in a new interview about his elder sister, the Princess of Wales, and the impact that her cancer diagnosis had on the Middleton family. He also speaks fondly of his upbringing and the one trait his parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, taught their children from an early age.

Speaking from Bucklebury Farm, which is co-owned by his sister, Pippa, James told the Times: “Well, I’d say we’re honest. The thing my parents taught us all to be was honest,” he says of the Middletons. On just how important honesty was for Kate, Pippa and James when they were growing up, James adds: "Being grounded and being honest was something instilled in us right from the start.

"And I think those are the values I want to instil in my son — that and having confidence in who he is, whoever he turns out to be.”

The sit-down chat also saw James open up on the challenges he has faced with his mental health over the years and the role his beloved dogs played in his recovery.

Speaking to the paper, he said that the Prince and Princess of Wales's mental health campaign Heads Together helped him to seek him when he was feeling suicidal.

James said: “I was aware of what they were doing. It was sort of the general message of, you know, it’s OK to not be OK.”

Elsewhere in the interview, James touched on his sister's cancer battle. Asked about whether he repaid the support she gave him during the darkest days of his life, James revealed: “What I think is that, as a family, you learn to see and process and understand things."

He continued: "For her and her family it was a challenging time, and I know for us and our bigger family it was a challenging time, but I think it’s about communication and it’s about offering support and help where you can.

"Being there for someone is such an important part, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be on your terms and it shouldn’t be on your terms.

"It should be on their terms; unconditional: ‘I’m not doing it for something in return. I’m doing it because I love you.’ And that’s the simplest way of really demonstrating love. You can do it in all these various fancy ways but actually, you know, it is just generally being there.”