Abhay Singh
At the age of only 11, James Middleton received a dyslexia diagnosis, which later proved to be a defining moment in his life. In a touching revelation, he recently shared how he managed to flawlessly read a passage from the Bible during the royal wedding of his sister, Kate Middleton, to Prince William.
The invitation to speak at this prestigious event came as a surprise to James, as he reflects on the significant role his dyslexia played in shaping his journey.
“I thought they were joking,”
He wrote “A reading? I thought they were joking, “My mind raced back to school and my stumbling, incoherent efforts to read in front of the class, What were they thinking? Being dyslexic, reading is my least favorite occupation.”
He remembers asking them “Seriously?” To which they responded “Seriously.”
He told them he would do it and acknowledged that he fibbed breezily. He added “if that was what my sister and William wanted, then of course I’d do my best not to let them down.”
He was informed that the only Bible reading in the service would be the reading, and he was uncertain whether to be honored or appalled, but practiced for months.
“I carried it with me everywhere”
James said “I carried it with me everywhere, taking it out of my pocket to practice the lines, over which I tripped and stumbled, transposing syllables, getting my ps and bs — my nemeses — in a twist,”
Anthony Gordon Lennox, a vocal coach who had previously worked with David Cameron as prime minister, helped James improve his reading skills. Ella, James’ dog, accompanied him during the training to help him unwind, and even though she was not permitted inside Westminster Abbey on the wedding day, she attended the rehearsal.
He said “I stood there, looked round, spotted Ella, smiled, I wanted to laugh, but I counted to four and the giggle subsided. … But tomorrow, I reminded myself, Ella wouldn’t be with me. It would just be me, a packed Abbey and a worldwide TV audience of about two billion people.”
He brought a “crumpled phonetic copy” of the reading on the day of the wedding.
“I wanted to do [Kate and William] both proud,” he added “I glanced up and saw happy faces I recognised in the congregation and the nervousness fell away. I took a deep breath … and began.”
He celebrated his success by receiving numerous messages and invitations to read lessons at churches worldwide, despite celebrating in a low-key manner with his dog post-ceremony.
“After all the wonder of the day, the service, then the celebrations, all I wanted to do was throw on a pair of old jeans and take Ella out for a walk,” James continued “It wasn’t until then that I allowed myself to think about how momentous the day had been.”
In January 2023, Ella passed away after a “short illness.”
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