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Alizee Thevenet's first meeting with her future sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, was not planned. James Middleton revealed in his book, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, how his wife's "first encounter" with his family happened "quite by accident."
"Alizee and I have been to a wedding not far from my parents' home in Bucklebury, Berkshire. We decide, on impulse, to stay at Mum and Dad's," the author recalled in his forthcoming book, according to an excerpt published by the Daily Mail. "We let ourselves in and tiptoe around in the dark, not wanting to wake anyone, then catch a few hours' sleep before I'm woken at 7.30am by giggling at the bedroom door."
As it turns out, it was James' nephew Prince George and niece Princess Charlotte. "I hadn't realised all three children are staying for the weekend with my sister and William. Alizee is still sound asleep, so I gently shush the children and we go downstairs where Catherine and William are drinking their early morning tea in the kitchen," James wrote.
The Princess' brother was about to take a cup up to his then-girlfriend when she appeared at the kitchen door with "her hair still tousled" and wearing one of James' shirts. "In situations like this, Alizee is wonderfully French. She does not panic or rush upstairs to get dressed," James shared. "Instead, she just greets everyone warmly as if it's not remotely unusual to be meeting her boyfriend's sister and brother-in-law for the first time wearing only an oversized man's shirt."
"'Hello,' she says, proffering her hand and with no awkwardness at all we're soon all chatting and the children are asking all kinds of cheeky questions at 100 miles per hour. How come we weren't there when they went to bed? And who is this lady? Is she your girlfriend? (Cue giggles from both of them.) So I tell Charlotte and George, yes, she is my girlfriend and introduce her to them, then we are all talking and laughing as if she has been part of the family for years," he continued.
James' parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, returned home later that afternoon, and the following day, they all enjoyed a walk together. When it was time to say goodbye, Catherine gave her brother a "special squeeze" and whispered in his ear, "She's just great." James added, "Mum's warm smile tells me she agrees. All my stars have aligned: Alizee is perfect for me and my family adores her."
Alizee married the Princess of Wales' brother in 2021 in the French village of Bormes-les-Mimosas surrounded by friends and family. The couple welcomed their first child together, son Inigo, last year. In a post introducing his son on Instagram, James penned: "No matter how prepared I thought I was…I was not prepared for the overwhelming emotion of meeting Inigo for the first time and the love for my darling Alizée as we became three."