The news broke yesterday that James Middleton had broken up with his girlfriend of several years, Donna Air. If you’re any kind of long-term Middleton-watcher, you probably expected this. James and Donna’s relationship always seemed a little bit… tricky. Yes, let’s go with “tricky.” When there were conversations about what to do about Poor James just after William and Kate got married, someone decided that what James really needed was an image update, a beard, a new career (marshmallows!), and a somewhat high-profile girlfriend. Enter Donna Air. Donna Air is one of those only-famous-in-Britain types, like she’s described as a “model and TV presenter” in the UK and she’s described as “who?” everywhere else. She seemed pretty harmless actually, and I sometimes get the feeling that she did her best to try to improve James’ image.
Skip ahead a few years and James Middleton is still an utter business failure, plus he’s getting hit with criticism that he (and his whole family) are a bunch of “pushy and useless” hangers-on. Maybe Donna Air had enough. Maybe James decided he needed a new image. Maybe Carole Middleton is planning something new.
Royal brother-in-law James Middleton is back on the market. The businessman and younger brother of the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton has split from his girlfriend of two years, Donna Air, a Middleton family source confirms to Us Weekly. (The Sun was first to break the news.)
According to the source, the pair had a “difference of interests.”
“James is not looking to get married at the moment, he’s not in a rush,” the source says. “I think Donna wanted to settle down. The timing wasn’t right for either of them.”
Just my opinion: I don’t believe they had a difference of interests, I think they had the same interest, which was “men.” Maybe I’m wrong. E! News also had some interesting details from an unnamed source:
“Unfortunately this split has been on the cards for months, since Donna accompanied the Middletons to St. Barts,” a source told E! News, referring to the family’s vacation in late August. “Donna desperately wanted make it work but James has been distant for a long time. Sadly the age gap did put pressure on the relationship, for although she already has a daughter, James did always feel like she perhaps wanted to start a family, and that is not where he is at all,” the source said. “Donna is devastated, she’s putting on a brave face, but this is a massive blow.”
Another source told E! News Air never really fit in with the Middletons and never “gelled” with his mother, Carole Middleton, 60, or sister Pippa, 32.
“Donna is very sensitive and took this quite personally,” the source said. “Of course, the Middletons were friendly to her, but Donna always felt like she wasn’t totally part of the family. She and James had very, very different upbringings. There’s no one else involved at this stage, but James is hot property, so no doubt there will queues of eligible women throwing themselves at him!” the source added.
Oh ho ho, Donna didn’t get along with Carole? OFF WITH HER HEAD! Queen Carole will not stand for this! And E!’s source is pretty generous by calling James a “hot property,” right? Anyway, no one really cared if James ever got around to marrying Donna and it’s perfectly possible that her contract just expired. What surprises me is that Carole Middleton hasn’t pushed one or both of her unmarried children into a high-profile engagement and marriage. I think Carole was angling for Pippa to “marry up,” hopefully within the aristocracy, but that’s not happening. I wonder if Carole thinks she can marry off James to some aristocratic girl now?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Just my opinion: I don’t believe they had a difference of interests, I think they had the same interest, which was “men.”
LMAO!!!
Seriously! I was just going to write that from the first time I saw this guy – at the Kate n’ Wills wedding – that I thought this guy was a little light in his loafers, as they say. Not that there’s anything wrong with that and all…
“James is hot property”?
He has marshmallows, and sometimes that is all a girl needs from her man.
Plus he has a somewhat tenuous link to corgis and tiaras. So he is tepid to lukewarm property at best. But that property is rented and not owned by him either.
He doesn’t seem hot enough to toast marshmallows that’s for sure
IKR! LOL!
Am I crazy or does he look like Jude law’s younger, smarmier brother?
I agree; there’s a little of Jude underneath the smarm.
I see a little Jude Law mixed with Nicholas Cage in one of the photos. Definitely more smarm.
They both had something else in common, the beard!
BOOM!
I believe it’s spelled “BOOMf.”
I’m still surprised that a company only (and no other product) selling overly expensive artisanal marshmallows went under. It’s almost as though the artisanal marshmallow market is tiny to non-existent. Who knew?
I’m in the UK and the other night was watching TV and an advert for Boomf came on (nine baby marshmallows for £15!?!!). Can’t believe they’re advertising that rubbish business idea. Good money after bad, I guess.
Wow, where did he get money for advertising that crap?
UG??
I am trying to imagine that TV commercial. I thought his business was kaput; never thought they’d be using television ads to promote it at this point.
OMG, I hope he keeps the beard (the literal one…) The pic of him w/o the beard… ugh. Just. Ugh.
Wonder if Carole will let him come out – probably not. Can’t see any aristocratic ladies being interested in James – if there was any sort of chance he could land a Lady (as in an aristo) he would never have hooked up with a former ZZ list celeb.
And i can buy that she was shut out by his family – she doesn’t have the right background that they can find useful.
And as for his (and his family’s) image – you can’t polish a turd. No matter how hard they try (and they do) they will never shed the pushy social climbing limpet image, Being discreet has never been one of their strong points.
They have climbed without merits and that is the Middleton dilemma.
Donna Air made a living like many a TV presenter and model. Nothing wrong or shameful about that.
I agree that probably no aristo lady will show any interest in James. The aristos seem to keep a healthy distance to Kate and her family.
I remember Donna when she was in Biker Grove – a children’s TV drama from the 90s. Girl worked to get to where she is and am not shaming her for it – was merely agreeing with Kaiser in that he dated her to help his image. Thou her TV career is rather limited nowadays – she only periodically takes presenting gigs. The father of her daughter is Damian Aspinall – a very wealthy man.
Yes, many predicted that Pippa would hook up with an aristo after the wedding but now that the majority of them are now married that i never going to happen. Whatever went on with her and Lord Percy never moved beyond a dalliance if it was even that.
The only people in that family with any merit is Mike and Carole – credit due to making a successful business.
Betti, Percy pings my gaydar.
And I think you’re right that Pippa will not be getting herself an aristo hubby any time soon. In putting on my Carole thinking cap here are the options. When the 1st round of divorces happen she could try to snag an aristo then. But she will be close to 40 by then. Which means she will need a starter marriage. So I would advise her to go for Nico now because I think he is perfect for her. Those two have a lot in common. Nico seems to embrace media attention. His parents run a small business. He took a hedge fund job which means he has no scruples and he wants to be rich. If Nico doesn’t get rich enough by the time 1st round divorces began, Pippa should try at that time to trade up for an aristo.
Pippa and Percy have been pretty close for a long time (I think since college days), and the speculation has been that he’s gay. And too I think the “aristocratic husband for Pippa” ship has sailed.
James is NOT hot property.
– no job and no future income except from his family
– there are two things that make him somewhat “eligible” in a questionable way
1. his family might have some money but it is not his. And if Carole doesn’t like the girlfriend …
2. his sister is married to the king-in-the-distant-future. That raises his status. But there is no guarantee that Kate stays married to William or that William will become king or that the connection to the Royal family can be used in any way.
I think that Donna Air is just too classy for any Middleton. She has her own money and a job and a future. And why is it bad to be a “model and TV presenter / moderator”? There are lots of presenters on TV who read out the news or announce things. It would be fair to say that Donna Air is probably a bit of a reporter, too. It is a decently paid job and it needs to be done well. That is more than any Middleton ever achieved!!!
Show me any Middleton who ever had a decently paid job.
(and no, writing cooking books like Pippa’s isn’t a “job” in my opinion as she didn’t put any thought into it but merely got to do something because of her Royal Family connections. Let’s define “job” as any kind of work that generates profit in a wider sense.)
It can only get better for Donna Air.
Better than what? She works for Hello magazine and sells jewellery on QVC. She hasn’t had a presenting or acting job on TV in donkeys years. I know the Middletons are loathed on here and that’s fine by me, but don’t try and kid anyone who’s not from the UK that Donna Air is well respected over here, because she’s not. If she hadn’t had Damian Aspinall’s child she would have disappeared from the public consciousness years ago.
Nothing wrong with modelling and presenting. It is a paid job so why would it be less respected than nurse or teacher or doctor or brick layer?
Why the snark for Donna Air?
Anybody who does a decent job for a living should be respected. I don’t really see the Middleton children doing decent jobs. And I see James marshmallow business as something of a joke.
I also doubt that the Middleton’s party pieces company generates much that profit. Their money is inherited / from uncle Gary. Merits?
As for having Damian Aspinall’s child: she had a veritable relationship with him which ended. It is not as if it had been a one-night-stand.
Pippa was out to lunch with Alex Louden yesterday. He’s hot.
Yeah, I saw that, too. This is the second Ex she’s been seen with recently. But, not long ago, the DM claimed she would be announcing her engagement to Nico soon.
I always wondered if she still had a thing for Alex. I thought he was such nice guy with her, until she went running around that one summer. I think that ruined it for him, maybe.
Agree, she was so elated to be cashing in on her 15 minutes of fame, that she failed to see that he wasn’t comfortable with all the media attention she was seeking.
Evermore
I’ve always wondered the same.
Alex’s mother gave the heave ho to pippa. She told her son she was ok to have a girlfriend but she is not wife material. Ooooouch. Prolly true though. A mumma knows her boy.
Pippa is about as exciting as a tooth canal. She is so mediocre is every way.
She can do better.i believe her previous relationship was with a multi millionaire,Freya’s dad .
I think she us OK and he is a wastrel ,so has more in common with his bro-in-law..Perhaps they can sit on the couch and play video games together
The Middleton’s seem to be struggling to gain any legitimate legacy of success in business or elsewhere ,as the remaining offspring flounder around
Impossible to know the true story here but if Donna has always known she wanted marriage and children with James then they are both at fault for having unrealistic expectations. When you begin seeing someone seriously you should assume they are not going to change very much. Use what they show you in the beginning as an indication of how they mean to continue. Set your priorities accordingly or find someone more appropriate.
On a personal note I don’t get James’ appeal. In the least.
Donna Air couldn’t improve anyone’s image and believe me she could teach the Middletons a thing or two about social climbing. She’s now selling a range of jewellery on QVC-UK that are basically copies of original pieces designed by Alex Monroe. I give her credit for having such a hilarious personal website, although I have a feeling the humour is unintentional.
That’s why some say Carole didn’t like her. She had similar traits to Carole. Some say that’s why James liked her too.
Business woman, Climber, ….
Donna comes from a similar background to Carole and clawed her way up the social ladder as well. Credit to them they are hustlers and not afraid of working, unlike James and the rest of his siblings. Too similar to really get along.
Oh, I can see that. The comments on here are really making me laugh because the only reason anyone in the US knows who she is, is because of her link to the Middletons. The Middletons may be a national joke and figures of fun, but publicity wise she gained a helluva lot more from the relationship than he ever did.
Yes the Middleton’s are British Kardashian’s on some levels. They love their press and fame. lol
@evermore
I think you’re right!
Right down to the over-involved hustler for a mother who sold out her daughter for a chance at fame and money. PMK and Carole seem to have more in common than not
IMO.
Donna is a go getter, I think she actually was good for James. I know she had the massively wealthy ex she had a daughter with, but now She also has various small businesses and jobs that she juggles and seems to be an ok lady.
Any woman who supports herself is too good for a man child whose relationships are dictated by his mom (if true, and quite likely), who is incapable of doing any work, and who is supposed to be hot because his sister got a ring.
The only women lining up for him will be famehos looking to get papped, with even less of a career than him. An aristo? They are dreaming. He would be lucky to get someone like Donna again – and all I know about her came from this article.
I could have sworn he was out at some point. Maybe when Kate and William were dating? Am I totally alone in this?
There are pictures online of James in a polka dot dress (google “James Middleton Gay” and hit images)
A man in a dress doesn’t mean he’s gay. Some hetero men enjoy cross-dressing. Carry on.
I always thought he was gay. But who stays in the closet nowadays?
When Ma wants a Lady X of Y-Z-Allthruster.
Why does he look like Prince Albert on a can?
“The age difference took a toll on them”… what age difference she is 36 he is 28…shrug.
If the gender were reversed everybody will be finding this relationship appropriate…
I am gutted that in this day a woman is still pointed out for being with someone just sensible younger than her , even if it’s still in the same age bracket….pffff
Donna doesn’t need to be anyone’s beard, she has her own career and money and I just can’t see it, she’s always come across as very grounded and down to earth.
What career?
what money, donna’s ex has no dough. He put all his cash carrying on his fathers animal sancutaries for endangered species. I heard years ago she could hardly get any child support payments out of him. He really does have no money and lives rather simply.
I know nothing about him (other then who his sister is) but with the beard he totally looks like Jude Law in Cold Mountain. At least in the beardy pictures.
I was just scrolling down to say the exact same thing. Whoa–that Jude Law resemblance is weird.
James really is the Rob Kardashian of the Middleton clan
*clutches pearls* You can’t say that! Rescind your statement, I tell you!
If he only lost the orange glow to his skin, he would be handsome (*ducks*). I think the beard (on his face, not on his arm) was a big improvement. I wish the best for the guy, because he seems lost.
Hang on a minute, I assumed she was earning her fame on your side of the pond. We only know her for starring in the Geordie 90’s kids’ TV show, Byker Grove. If she’s a model and presenter in the UK, this is news to me.
I think the beard on james de-gays him a lot. When i see him sans facial hair I always think “early 90’s rent boy”
Maybe James is getting together with Gavin.