James Middleton will be "forever grateful" for the time he got to spend with Queen Elizabeth

He told Us Weekly: "I've been incredibly fortunate to have spent time with her. I think spending time at school and learning about this incredible monarch and then finding yourself in the same room with her doing a puzzle is a pinch yourself moment. To have been able to share moments of time with her, I'll forever be very grateful for that."

James previously shared how the current heir to the throne was a "fantastic support" to himself and the rest of his family when Catherine first became affiliated with them."

The 42-year-old royal met Catherine in the days that she was known as Kate Middleton during their time at university and the pair tied the knot in 2011 and James recalled how the prince helped them all through the "pressure" of adjusting to global notoriety amid his struggles with mental health.

He told The Sunday Times: "William was a fantastic support for us as a family. He did everything he could to protect us from the intense interest, not just in Catherine, but also her immediate family. But at that time I was already in a vulnerable state of mind and it was an added pressure."

William and Catherine went on to have Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, together, whilst James is now married to Alizée Thevenet and has son Inigo, 11 months, with her.