James Middleton© Grosby Group

The Princess of Wales' baby nephew's middle name pays tribute to a family member

James Middleton's son was born in 2023


SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 3:01 PM EDT

James Middleton and his wife Alizée Thevenet honored a family member with their son's middle name. The Princess of Wales' brother opened up about the signifigance of the moniker in his new book Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.

"Then there is his name. We have thought about it – of course we have – and we decide on it now,"  James wrote, according to HOLA! USA's sister brand HELLO!. "Inigo Gabriel Middleton. Inigo means fiery, ardent, although he is peaceful now.

He continued, "Gabriel is in memory of his grandfather, Alizee's papa. It is a small tribute and we look forward to sharing lots of stories about his French grandad too."

Alizée's father, Jean-Gabriel Thevenet, passed away months before she married the Princess of Wales' brother. James and Alizée tied the knot in September of 2021 in the French village of Bormes-les-Mimosas.

The couple welcomed their first child, son Inigo, last year. In a post introducing his baby boy on Instagram, James wrote: "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."

Ahead of the release of his book, James spoke with HELLO! about his sisters Catherine and Pippa as parents. "It's been wonderful, seeing them become mothers and being so dedicated and strong. I'm in awe of that," he said. 

"I've been fortunate to see how my sisters have done it, and take tips along the way – some I take on board, and others I'm like: 'Hmm,'" James quipped.

James' sisters each have three children. The Princess of Wales shares Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis with Prince William, while Pippa and her husband James Matthews are parents to Arthur, Grace, and Rose. James told HELLO! that his son Inigo is "fortunate to have older cousins who can now pick him up and show him things, and as he grows up, they'll be able to look out for him. There's definitely an element of curiosity [about] a baby that they have."