James Middleton:

Alizee met William and Kate in a sleep shirt

James Middleton has found the love of his life in Frenchwoman Alizee - she introduced herself to his sister and Prince William.

(Bild: James Middleton/Instagram)

James Middleton, Princess Kate's younger brother, reveals in his new memoir "Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life" that when his now wife Alizee Thevenet first met William and Kate, she was only wearing a sleep shirt that she stole from him. 

In his work, the 37-year-old describes how he and his Alizee decided at the last minute to spend a night at his parents' house in Bucklebury, Berkshire. What they didn't know, however, was that the future King William, Kate and their three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - were also in the house. The moment of discovery only came when James was woken by the children giggling at the bedroom door.

Kate and William at the breakfast table
"Alizee was still fast asleep, so I quietly hushed the children and went downstairs with them," James writes in an excerpt published in the Daily Mail. "There Catherine and William were already sitting in the kitchen enjoying their morning tea."

"She was wearing one of my shirts"
But the real climax came a little later when Alizee, freshly awake, stepped into the kitchen. "Her hair was still disheveled and she was wearing one of my shirts. But in typical Alizee fashion, she took the situation in her stride, greeted everyone warmly and didn't let herself get rattled," James recalls fondly. "Without even a moment's embarrassment, she shook hands with Kate and William and immediately struck up a casual conversation, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to meet her boyfriend's sister and brother-in-law like that."

Instead of awkwardness, there was pure cordiality - and the children, typically curious, immediately peppered Alizee with cheeky questions while everyone chatted in a relaxed atmosphere.

Without royal etiquette
James Middleton and Alizee Thevenet, who tied the knot in a romantic ceremony in the south of France in 2021, prove with this story that the first meeting with the royals can also be very relaxed and unconventional - without any royal etiquette. 

And despite her scanty attire, Alizee apparently had a better introduction to William and Kate than Duchess Meghan, when Prince Harry introduced the former actress to his sister-in-law and brother.

In the Netflix documentary "Harry & Meghan", the Duke and Duchess of Sussex complained that Princess Kate had reacted rather reservedly when they first met. "When Will and Kate came to visit and I met them for the first time, they came for dinner, I remember wearing ripped jeans and being barefoot," said Meghan, who had expected a warm welcome.

"I'm a hugger. I've always been a hugger, but I didn't realize that was really shocking to a lot of British people."