THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

With his six loyal companions by his side, James Middleton opens up about son Inigo, sisters Kate and Pippa and the healing power of four-legged friends

- ROSALIND POWELL

You couldn't find a happier-looking man than James Middleton as he shows the Hello! team around the grounds of his farmhouse in the Berkshire countryside. With six dogs bouncing at his heels, Princess Kate's younger brother is in his element ushering the pack into the back of a red tractor, throwing in a few bales of hay and heading off to a grassy meadow bathed in sunshine, with us following behind.

"It is a very special place, and we see ourselves as very lucky," he says when we arrive, proudly surveying 30 acres of rolling hills and woodland, alive with birdsong, at his beautiful home, where he lives with his wife of four years, financial analyst Alizée, and their toddler son, Inigo. "And we're lucky enough to have seven pubs within a mile radius," he adds, grinning.

Born in Reading, James, 38, has spent most of his life in the area, as have his family.

His parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, are "five minutes up the road" in the village of Bucklebury, "which is lovely because we see lots of them." Sisters Kate, 43, and Pippa, 41, also live nearby.

FAMILY TIES

"We're a close family, and we're fortunate in that we see lots of each other," James tells us. "My parents play a good role in getting us all together in that respect.

"We've been brought up knowing that you can't take family for granted. You don't get to choose them, as you can choose your friends. But I don't think you can give up on your family like you can sometimes with friends."