While Princess Beatrice still hopes to exchange vows with property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a small ceremony at St James’s Palace in May, another ‘royal’ wedding is definitely off.
I can reveal that the Duchess of Cambridge’s brother, James Middleton, has abandoned plans to marry his French fiancee, Alizee Thevenet, this summer. It would have been one of the society weddings of the year.
‘It’s very sad, but it’s just not practical to hold it in this crisis,’ one of his friends tells me.
I can reveal that the Duchess of Cambridge’s brother, James Middleton, has abandoned plans to marry his French fiancee, Alizee Thevenet, this summer
‘Holding an AngloFrench wedding is impossible in the coming months and is still likely to be difficult in the summer.
‘They would prefer to wait until all their guests are able — and happy — to attend.’
I disclosed last October that entrepreneur James, 32, had proposed to the 29-year-old City worker, and that she had been wearing a beautiful sapphire sparkler.
While Princess Beatrice still hopes to exchange vows with property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a small ceremony at St James’s Palace in May, another ‘royal’ wedding is definitely off. The pair are pictured together above
The couple confirmed the engagement days later. Considered to be one of the most eligible bachelors in Britain, James gave the only reading at the wedding of his sister Kate and Prince William at Westminster Abbey, declaring: ‘Let love be genuine.’
James met Alizee in 2018 in a chance encounter — brokered by his pooch. A friend revealed that Alizee had no idea who James was when she struck up a conversation with him at the South Kensington Club after saying hello to his cocker spaniel, Ella.
Miss Thevenet is a keen skier who speaks four languages, thanks to her time spent in countries including Chile, Indonesia and Belgium while growing up.
She moved to Britain seven years ago and has a masters degree in investment and finance.
James broke up with his on-off girlfriend, The Split star Donna Air, at the beginning of 2018 after a five-year romance. Last night James and Alizee declined to comment.
The smart set’s talking about… Royal Ballet bad boy Sergei Polunin
Sergei Polunin is at last ready to grow up at the age of 30
Labelled the ‘bad boy of ballet’ due to his hedonistic bent — from drugtaking to a penchant for tattoos — Sergei Polunin is at last ready to grow up at the age of 30.
I can reveal that Polunin, who made history by becoming the Royal Ballet’s youngest-ever Principal dancer ten years ago, has become a father.
And to emphasise his reformed character, he and his girlfriend, the Russian Olympic figure skating champion Elena Ilinykh, 25, have named their son Peace.
‘For two days our child lived without a name,’ he says. ‘
We called the baby by different names and looked at his reaction. When we said Peace, he responded.’
Ukraine-born Polunin ruffled feathers with his series of homophobic and sexist social media posts last year, which included telling chaps to ‘man up’.
They led to his being dropped from a production of Swan Lake in Paris. He met Elena via social media and says ‘wonder has entered my life’.
Sellers’ bubbly ex passes away
Catapulted into the public eye as the third wife of comedian Peter Sellers, the model Miranda Quarry has died aged 72.
Their marriage unravelled when Sellers proposed to Liza Minnelli after seeing her on stage.
Miranda went on to wed Sir Nicholas Nuttall, with whom she had three children, and, latterly, the Earl of Stockton.
‘Miranda was lovely,’ a family friend tells me. ‘A wonderful mother.’
Catapulted into the public eye as the third wife of comedian Peter Sellers, the model Miranda Quarry has died aged 72. Their marriage unravelled when Sellers proposed to Liza Minnelli after seeing her on stage
Some might claim the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will soon be outshone by Prince Harry and Meghan on the world stage, but William and Kate have come up with a cunning plan.
The couple have put an ad on the royal website for an events manager.
Duties include planning ‘a wide variety of visits, ranging from formal State occasions to more imaginative engagements based around their Royal Highnesses’ thematic areas’, the ad explains.
No salary is given for the job which will be based at Kensington Palace. And applicants are advised: ‘Maintaining confidentiality and exercising discretion at all times is paramount.’
Comedian Barry Humphries came out of retirement last year at the age of 86 to resurrect his flamboyant alter-ego Dame Edna Everage for a one-off tour.
And now Australia’s most outrageous housewife will have to learn to change nappies again, as the wife of Barry’s art dealer son, Oscar, is pregnant with their first son.
The couple also have a 19-month-old daughter, Honey. ‘Sophie and I, and our families, are very happy about our baby news,’ says Oscar, whose wife is the daughter of explorer Tim Oakley.
‘We have to self-isolate for 90 days. I hope that by September, when the baby is due, the UK will be in a better place.’
Comedian Barry Humphries came out of retirement last year at the age of 86 to resurrect his flamboyant alter-ego Dame Edna Everage for a one-off tour
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
‘This will make me a grandfather 13 times over — more than enough for a cricket team’
Howzat! Stanley Johnson looks forward to Boris’s baby with his fiancee, Carrie Symonds