Kate Middleton is the wife of one future King of England, and the mother of another, and as such has access to unimaginable wealth. But that doesn’t mean her family is rolling in it: witness her brother, James Middleton, who is working a low-wage job to make ends meet after his company failed.
As The Daily Mail reports, James, the younger brother of the Duchess of Cambridge, is living paycheck to paycheck like most of the rest of the people of England. That’s because even being connected to royalty doesn’t guarantee that your business will succeed.
Back in 2013, the younger Middleton started a personalized-gift business, Boomf, selling novelty marshmallows. At the time, he was romantically attached to actress Donna Air. However, all good things must come to an end, and James and Donna are no more, and neither is Boomf. After taking losses of £3 million (a hair under $4 million) over the past three years, and breaking up with Donna to boot, James had no choice but to get a job (we’re guessing that borrowing from his sister would have been “frowned upon,” to put it mildly).
Specifically, James kept it in the family and is now working for someone he’s obliquely related to. Specifically, he’s a tour guide at Glen Affric Lodge, a Scottish castle owned by David Matthews, who is the father of his sister Pippa’s husband, James. So in a way he’s keeping it in the family.
And what a job it is! As a tour guide at the ancient castle near Scotland’s famed Loch Ness, James has to (or gets to, depending on your point of view) dress in period garb (we’re not sure what period) appropriate for a rural Scottish estate. Check him out in the picture below rocking a Sherlock Holmes hat (or a “deerstalker,” if you want to get technical).
Kate Middleton’s Brother, James Middleton, Is Working as a Tour Guide in Scotland After His Company Lost £3 million https://t.co/gydHhHICUZ pic.twitter.com/7XXOo57awl
— Marie Claire (@marieclaire) September 30, 2018
For what it’s worth, it appears that the lodge’s website has removed mentions of James from its publicity photos, as he doesn’t appear in any pictures on the “ Meet the Team ” page of photos. Similarly, other photos of Middleton, described by the Daily Mail as “cringe-worthy,” also appear to have been scrubbed from the site.
For what it’s worth, Middleton doesn’t seem to mind punching the clock at a Scottish castle. He recently said in an interview that he may stay in Scotland permanently.
“The countryside is where I’m happiest and I’ll be taking my four dogs to Glen Affric with me.”
