Meet Alizee Thevenet, James Middleton's Fiancé — And Princess Kate's Future Sister-In-Law
Kate Middleton's baby brother is getting married!
Instagram Kate Middleton's baby brother James ,32, is off the market! He proposed to his financial analyst girlfriend Alizee Thevenet and she said yes or, more accurately, oui, since she is French. The couple have been together for at least a year and currently live together in a West London apartment. James proposed with a sparkling sapphire ring. James took to Instagram to share his happy news, posting a pic of the smiling couple and writing: "She said OUI. Our secret is out but we couldn't be happier to share the news." So ... who is Alizee Thevenet, Princess Kate Middleton's future sister-in-law?
1. Their meet cute
A source reportedly close to the couple told the Daily Mail that James and Alizee met at the South Kensington Club, which Gwyneth Paltrow's website Goop describes as a "home away from home for the health obsessed." They met when Alizee said hello to James' dog, Ella. Later that day, he asked a waiter to give her a note that said: "I never normally do this, but would you like to go for a drink with me?" She said yes and as they say, the rest is history. The source added that Alizee didn't know who he was at first; one of her friends had to tell her he was Kate Middleton's brother.
2. How long have they been together?
Middleton and Thevenet, 29, were first spotted together last year during Christmas when the two were spotted canoodling in St. Barts. They were on vacation with Pippa Middleton and her husband, British race car driver James Matthews. They went public with their relationship when she was his date at the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston in May. They also went Instagram official in May. They reportedly moved in together last month. With James' engagement, all of the Middleton kids are spoken for. Kate, of course, married Prince William in 2011 and Pippa Middleton married James Matthews in 2017.
3. Her unusual name
Alizee's father, Jean-Gabriel Thevenet explained his daughter's unusual first name. She is named after a tropical wind, which is French is called the Alize. "My daughter is named after my first love which is wind-surfing and the Alize wind that fills the sails."
4. She speaks three languages
Alizee Thevenet grew up in France, Chile, Indonesia and Belgium. She speaks three languages and has her master's degree in finance and investment form Queen Mary University of London. She is an avid skier.
5. She moved to London
Alizee moved to London six years ago to pursue her master's degree. Middleton ended his five-year relationship with actress Donna Air in early 2018, setting the stage for Alizee to walk into his life and his heart.
6. A royal adjacent wedding
There's no news yet on when Middleton and Thevenet plan to walk down the aisle. However, it wouldn't be far fetched to assume a number of the members of the British Royal Family will be in attendance including his sister Princess Kate and brother-in-law Prince William as well as Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based writer and editor covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.