Kate Middleton’s Brother, James, Reportedly Just Got Engaged To His French Girlfriend

Love seems to be in the air for the royals and their relatives. Less than two weeks since the news broke of Princess Beatrice’s engagement to real estate mogul Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, another close relation to the royals has popped the question.

James Middleton, brother to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has reportedly asked his girlfriend, Alizee Thevenet, to marry him, as seen in the Daily Mail. Although the couple has yet to announce the engagement, a friend of James told the publication that the youngest Middleton proposed in secret and that he was planning on making a formal announcement next week. However, the friend also said the secret was getting harder to keep, as Alizee has been seen “wearing a beautiful sapphire sparkler.” The friend also speculated that his choice in engagement ring might have been inspired by the one his eldest sister wears.

Alizee first met James in the summer of 2018, in what one could only describe as a “meet cute.” Anybody who is a fan of James or follows his Instagram knows that he is obsessed with dogs. His account is split into “dogs,” “more dogs,” and “dogs,” again, and the lovable pooches played a role in the couple meeting. James was sitting in the South Kensington Club and Alizee came over to him to comment on how cute his dog, a Cocker Spaniel named Ella, was. Afterward, she returned to her table, but James sent over a note with the server asking her out, paying for her meal as well.

The rest, as they say, is history. Alizee and James began dating, and the couple made their public debut at a Christmas church service last December.

Although Alizee is French, she is not unfamiliar with living in England, nor are cultures outside of her own foreign to her. She grew up in Chile, Indonesia, and Belgium and speaks four languages, as reported by the Daily Mail. She also attended a master’s program in finance and investment from Queen Mary, University of London, and has lived in London for about seven years, per The Inquisitr. It was also revealed last month that she and James moved in with each other, finding a place together in West London.

Their relationship may have been a short one, but James has reportedly told friends she is “the one” when he asked her to move in with him. After dating actress Donna Air for five years, it seems that James is willing to go after what he wants.

Whirlwind romances aren’t unheard of in royal circles, either. Princess Beatrice got engaged after just 11 months of courtship, and Prince Charles and Princess Diana also courted for less than a year before they became engaged.