The Embarrassing Way Prince George and Princess Charlotte Helped Introduce Uncle James Middleton’s Now-Wife to Their Parents
Spoiler alert: There were lots of giggles and bedhead.
Kate Middleton's brother, James Middleton, shares plenty of touching stories about his famous family in his upcoming memoir, "Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life," but among the heartwarming tales is the hilarious account of how his sister and Prince William met their future sister-in-law.
In an excerpt from the book shared by The Daily Mail on Sept. 15, James shared the accidental way his then-girlfriend, Alizée Thevenet, met the Wales family while wearing nothing but his shirt.
The royal sibling explained that he'd brought Thevenet to a wedding near his parents' house in Bucklebury, England during the summer of 2018, when the couple made an "on impulse" decision to sleep at the Middleton family home.
"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 7:30 a.m. by giggling at the bedroom door," James wrote.
The source of the laughs? None other than Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
James explained he "hadn't realized" the kids—along with their then-baby brother, Prince Louis, and parents the Prince and Princess of Wales— were "staying for the weekend."
Since his girlfriend was "still sound asleep," James guided the kids to the kitchen to join their parents, who were "drinking their early morning tea." But while James made a cup to take upstairs to Thevenet, she intercepted him—and got quite the surprise.
"She has just got out of bed, her hair still tousled, and she is wearing one of my shirts. In situations like this, Alizée is wonderfully French. She does not panic or rush upstairs to get dressed," the author penned.
And while most people would probably want to crawl into a hole meeting their boyfriend's family (let alone the Royal Family) in such an ensemble, Thevenet took the moment in stride.
In his book, James wrote that his girlfriend greeted "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."
As for Princess Charlotte and Prince George, they launched into "asking all kinds of cheeky questions at 100 miles per hour" such as "Who is this lady?" and "Is she your girlfriend?"
"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," James wrote, adding his parents came home later in the day and they all went for a walk.
"When we all hug goodbye I get a special squeeze from Catherine, who whispers in my ear, 'She's just great,'" James shared.
Along with the early days of his relationship, James also wrote about the moment when he found out his sister would marry the future king in Meet Ella, along with how the couple helped him through his depression.
Awkward first meetings aside, Thevenet would go on to marry James Middleton in 2021, surrounded by his "cheeky" niece and nephews and the rest of his family.
"All my stars have aligned: Alizee is perfect for me and my family adores her," James penned.
