Kate Middleton's brother reveals one major regret over 'cross-dressing' at parties

James Middleton has opened up on his regret over a photo of him wearing a polka dot dress to a costume party was published in the media after his sister married Prince William

Kate Middleton's brother has spoken out about an infamous photo of him wearing a dress to a costume party.

James Middleton has been open over the years about his battle with his mental health, and has now revealed his regrets over being caught "cross-dressing" when he was younger.

Photos were shared a decade ago of then 26-year-old James attending parties, with one of the standout images showing him dressed to the nines in a polka dot dress, but writing for the Telegraph he says he can't continue to look to the past and consider what he could have done differently.

He said: "There are certain things I've learnt, like not to wear drag to a Hallowe'en party because you'll find yourself in the papers as a 'cross-dressing brother'. But I can't look back thinking, 'How would I have done things differently'.

"The peace of the countryside helps maintain our mental wellbeing; it was part of our reason for moving out of London after 11 years. It sounds like a joke, but we try to live like our dogs. They're not worrying about tomorrow or yesterday."

The 37-year-old younger brother of the Princess of Wales lives in the countryside with his wife and six dogs, with him recently releasing a memoir where he talks candidly about his struggles with his mental health. Earlier in his piece for the Telegraph, he revealed the added pressure Kate's romance with Prince William brought to his life, making him "famous by default".

Last month, James spoke to the Mirror ahead of the release of his tell-all memoir. James' memoir Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, explores his mental health journey and suicidal thoughts, and how his beloved cocker spaniel Ella helped to pull him back from the brink. The touching book also delves into the unwavering support given to him by his family, including his sister, and how he first confided in them about his struggles in 2017 before publicly speaking about them in 2019.

He told the Mirror: "When I first publicly spoke about my depression, they were launching their Heads Together charity and that was great for me to learn and understand and have a platform. As I've said, I didn't believe I was allowed to have mental health or depression and that work was a good catalyst for me to want to speak out because I can't ever avoid or hide away from who my sister is, I will always be her brother. But it made me feel confident enough and supportive enough in what they were speaking about in what I felt. "

James details in his book his family's support during his mental health struggles, and he said it has been much of the same through their recent trials. He said: "I think as a family, we are a close family and through the experiences of my mental health and challenges we've faced over the years, we've learned to be a support for each other and that comes in different shapes and forms. I think we are very much in that supportive place for each other, which I recognise we are really lucky to have as not all families have it."