James Middleton Reflects on His 'Panic' When Greeting Queen Elizabeth

James Middleton, Queen Elizabeth II Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images ; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

is set to release his memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, later this month. As ‘s brother, the new book explores James’ interactions with members of the royal family, including .

Princess Kate married on April 11, 2011, in a fairytale royal wedding at Westminster Abbey in London. As well as giving a Bible reading at the Prince and Princess of Wales’ nuptials, James has spent time at Sandringham with the royals.

James recalled traveling to the royal family’s Sandringham estate for Princess Kate’s birthday party, after Queen Elizabeth agreed to host a “teatime gathering” for the occasion.

After flying back from France overnight, James traveled with his sister to the royal residence. Despite having met the monarch previously, James found himself more nervous than usual when greeting the Queen at Sandringham.

Related: Kate Middleton's Family Guide: Meet Her Parents, Siblings and MorePrincess Kate Middleton’s family were thrust into the spotlight following her 2011 nuptials to Prince William. The Princess of Wales’ parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, her sister, Pippa Middleton, and her brother, James Middleton, were among many guests at the royal wedding. Pippa, for her part, called the attention surrounding her role as maid of […]

“We arrived breathless and flustered with barely time to run upstairs and change,” James wrote in an excerpt from Meet Ella published by the Daily Mail. “I bounded downstairs two at a time and into the room where everyone was assembled for tea, almost running smack into Her Majesty.”

In preparation for “teatime” with Queen Elizabeth and , James had been revising the correct way to address the monarch.

“All the way up to Norfolk I’d been rehearsing my lines, muttering: ‘Your Majesty’ for the Queen; ‘Your Royal Highness’ for the Duke of Edinburgh,” James wrote. “But in my blind panic I blurted: ‘I’m so sorry we’re late, Your Royal Majesty.’”

James Middleton Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Rather than causing any sort of offense, James’ incorrect greeting appears to have been found funny by those in attendance.

“I heard a snort of laughter and looked past the Queen to see everyone in the room stifling their giggles,” James wrote.

As for Queen Elizabeth, James recalls the monarch being warm and inviting, in spite of how “flustered” he may have been.

“‘Oh, how lovely to see you, James,’ she smiled,” James wrote. “I’d met her several times, notably at my sister’s wedding, and she was always welcoming.”

Related: Queen Elizabeth II's Evolution: Princess to Longtime British MonarchQueen Elizabeth II's royal life in photos, including her wedding, her coronation, the births of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and more!

Instead of correcting Princess Kate’s brother, the Queen was quick to make him feel at ease in her home.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Subscribe to newsletters Please enter a valid email. Subscribe

By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly

Deal of the DayKeep Cozy This Fall With This Sherpa Fleece Throw Blanket That’s Now 43% off!View Deal

Check our latest news in Google News

Follow Us

Check our latest news in Apple News

Follow UsjQuery( document ).ready( function( $ ) { let randomNumber = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 ), is_spanish = false, is_featured_post = false; if ( randomNumber < 96 && $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).length ) { $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).show(); $( '#news-block .news-widget, #news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); } else { if( $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).length ) { $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).remove(); } if ( is_spanish ) { // 99% should be newsletter signup if ( randomNumber < 99 ) { $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).remove(); } else { $( '#news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).show(); } } else if ( is_featured_post ) { // no newsletter block $( '#news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).show(); } else { // 50/50 if( 0 === parseInt( $.now() ) % 2 ) { $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).remove(); } else { $( '#news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).show(); } } if ( navigator.userAgent.match( /(iPod|iPhone|iPad)/ ) ) { $( '#news-block .news-widget .google-news' ).remove(); } else { $( '#news-block .news-widget .apple-news' ).remove(); } } } );

“‘You must be hungry,'” James recalled her saying. “Make sure you have something to eat.’”

Spending time with the royal family must have been nerve-wracking at first for Princess Kate’s family, but as James’ memoir attests, the Middletons were embraced by the Queen.

 Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life is set to be released on Thursday, September 26.

In this articleJames MiddletonKate Middleton, Princess of WalesPrince WilliamPrincess KatePrincess of WalesQueen Elizabeth II

James Middleton Reflects on His 'Panic' When Greeting Queen Elizabeth

James Middleton Reflects on His 'Panic' When Greeting Queen Elizabeth

James Middleton Reflects on His 'Panic' When Greeting Queen Elizabeth

James Middleton Reflects on His 'Panic' When Greeting Queen Elizabeth

James Middleton Reflects on His 'Panic' When Greeting Queen Elizabeth