Who is Kate Middleton’s pregnant sister-in-law Alizee Thevenet?

Princess Kate’s brother James Middleton revealed yesterday that his wife Alizée Thevenet is pregnant with the couple’s first child.

The British entrepreneur, 36, shared a sweet picture of Alizée’s growing bump to Instagram, showing the French financier, 33, in a olive green dress with their dog Mable in a gorgeous countryside setting.

‘We couldn’t be more excited … well Mable might be,’ James wrote, before referencing his tough year following the death of his dog Ella.

‘It was a very difficult start to the year after losing my beloved Ella however we will end the year with the most precious little addition to our growing family’.

Alizée, who has lived and worked in London for several years, is currently Head of Private Equity and Venture Capital at TreasurySpring, a tech firm that uses digital pipelines to connect cash rich firms to institutional borrowers.

Sharing a close relationship with both her parents, she’s the daughter of the late diplomat Jean-Gabriel Thevenet, who died just months before her South of France wedding to James, which had to be postponed twice due to Covid.

Friends said it meant the bride and groom’s big day was a joyful occasion tinged with some sadness because Alizee’s father could not be there to walk her down the aisle. 

A source told MailOnline: ‘It was a happy day but sadly Jean Gabriel was not there. He died five months ago. He was only in his 60’s. It is a real tragedy. His wife Laurence was at the wedding, of course.

‘I know that Alizee wanted her father to be there too. But it wasn’t to be. They had to delay the wedding twice and it was too late for him.’

Mr Middleton and Alizee got engaged in September 2019 and the ceremony was originally planned for summer 2020.

However it had to be postponed due to Covid restrictions and a second attempt to re-arrange it in the 12 months prior also failed.

By the time they were finally able tie the the knot in the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas near the Cote d’Azur in September 2021 it was too late for Mr Thevenet. It is not know what he died from.

‘Jean Gabriel would have loved to be there on Alizee’s special day. It is so sad that Laurence had to go to the wedding on her own,’ added the friend.

This loved-up image of the couple was posted to Instagram by James when he shared a series of holiday pictures from their getaway in Sicily

James and Alizee (pictured) wed in front of 50 guests including the Prince and Princess of Wales, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and their three children at the Chateau Leoube

James previously shared a photo of his stunning French bride Alizée walking the dogs in nothing more than a pair of boots and a bikini, pictured

James and Alizee wed in front of 50 guests including the Prince and Princess of Wales, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and their three children at the Chateau Leoube, an exclusive vineyard owned by British billionaire JCB chairman Anthony Bamford in Provence that produces some of France’s finest rose wine.

Earlier the couple had been married by the mayor at the town hall.

James announced the marriage on Instagram with a photo of the happy couple smiling with the caption: ‘Yesterday I married the love of my life surrounded by family, friends and of course a few dogs.’

Alizee’s father previously revealed his joy when their fledgling relationship emerged in January 2019 and said he was ‘delighted’ when they announced their engagement eight months later.

Speaking from the window of his rustic bed-and-breakfast in the mountains of Condat-sur-Ganaveix, rural France, Mr Thevenet, told MailOnline: ‘My daughter Alizee is very happy with James, they are very much in love. 

‘James is a very charming man. I am very happy that Alizee is together with James. I know she is very happy. We keep our fingers crossed for them.’

One of snaps shared by James to celebrate the couple’s news shows Alizee, 33, in a olive green dress with their dog Mable in a gorgeous countryside setting 

James and Alizee are seen at their brother-in-law’s estate at Glen Affric on the Scottish Highlands 

Mayor of Condat-sur-Ganaveix Michel Plazanet confirmed Mr Thevenet’s death. His spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘Mr Thevenet died about five months ago. It is very sad.’

Mrs Thevenet declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline at the time. 

Finance guru Alizee is fluent in three languages having lived in six countries – Germany, Indonesia, Chile, France, Belgium and England – as the Thevenet family travelled the world. 

But Alizée has been settled in the UK for several years, graduating with a masters degree in investment and finance from Queen Mary, University of London.

Before then she did her undergraduate degree in accounting and finance in Brussels. On her Linkedin profile, she has described herself as having a ‘high work ethic and dedication to success’ as well as ‘always being open to new ideas’.

The blonde beauty has worked at London-based Fintech startup TreasurySpring for almost four years.  

Alizée has a keen interest in sailing and watersports and shares James’ love of dogs, with the pair often sharing snaps of them out and about with the entrepreneur’s beloved pets. 

Her father previously revealed how his daughter Alizee is named after the sub-tropical trade wind – known as the Alize in French.

He said: ‘My daughter is named after my first love which is wind-surfing and the Alize wind that fills the sails.’

James has previously described how Alizee had helped to transform his life following crippling depression. 

The couple met at the private South Kensington Club in 2018 when James’s cocker spaniel, Ella, bounded over to Alizee. 

They were first seen together at the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund’s Christmas Carol Service at St. Luke’s Church.

The following month, they were spotted vacationing in St. Barts along with James’s sister Pippa and her husband James Matthews.  

James and Alizee snapped up a property in Berkshire village of Bucklebury, for £1.45 million. It’s a four-bedroom Grade II listed period farmhouse with beams and leaded windows in a village on the Bucklebury fringes. 

It means Kate’s family are all now near-neighbours, with parents Carole and Michael living in a £4.7 million Georgian manor house in the village, while her sister Pippa bought Bucklebury Farm Park, a petting zoo which is a favourite of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

After more than a year of dating, the couple announced their engagement in September 2019. James is believed to have proposed during a trip in the Lake District. 

French finance expert speaks three languages and grew up around the world with her diplomat father 

Alizée has a keen interest in sailing and watersports and James previously shared a series of snaps of his wife relaxing on a boat enjoying a holiday in Italy 

James shared a snap of the stunning financier through his business account Ella Co, showing Alize on the beach playing fetch with his adorable pooch

Alizée was seen in a picture shared on his Instagram with a stunning sapphire ring on her finger. 

The couple’s baby will be a first cousin to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – and a niece or nephew of the Prince and Princess of Wales.  It’s likely that Kate will certainly welcome becoming an aunt again, as she has mentioned she is ‘feeling broody’ on many occasions.

James and Kate’s sister Pippa also has three children with her husband James Matthews: – Arthur, Grace and Rose – meaning the new addition will be the seventh grandchild of Carole and Michael Middleton. 

Ella – who was mentioned in the Instagram announcement – is James’ beloved spaniel, who died last year aged 15. 

Writing in The Telegraph in 2021, James explained he met Alizée in 2018 at Chelsea’s the South Kensington Club when Ella ‘made a beeline for Alizée’. 

The couple are pictured attending the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Mr Thomas Kingston at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in 2019 

James, who was ’embarrassed’, went over ‘to apologise and bring Ella back’, recalling how Alizée thought he was a ‘waiter’ and ‘ordered her drink while continuing to stroke Ella, who at this point was on her back lapping up the attention.’  

He has previously credited the black spaniel with helping him overcome his mental health struggles and introducing him to his wife. 

In January 2019, James explained in a personal essay for the Daily Mail how Ella had helped him through his depression battles.

He wrote: ‘During the day I’d drag myself up and go to work, then just stare with glazed eyes at my computer screen, willing the hours to tick by so I could drive home again.’