Travel Tips Celebrity Travel Prince William and Kate Middleton Just Took the Family to France for a Very Special Reason The weddings bells were ringing. By Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca Instagram Twitter Website Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeared in print or online for Travel + Leisure, Time, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, and many more. You'll usually find her in an airport. If you do see her there, please say hello. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on September 13, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Prince William and Kate Middleton took yet another stealth family vacation to close out the summer, only this time, it was for one very special reason. Over the weekend, the royals, along with their three children, made their way to France for the wedding of Kate's brother, James Middleton, to his now wife, Alizee Thevenet. Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images According to the Daily Mail, the wedding was an intimate family-only affair, after the duo had to postpone the wedding twice due to COVID-19. renan gicquel/Getty Images "Mr & Mrs Middleton," James Middleton shared on Instagram on Sunday following the nuptials. "Yesterday I married the love of my life surrounded by family, friends, and of course a few dogs in the beautiful village of Bormes-les-Mimosas. Words cannot describe how happy I am." As The Telegraph explained, the couple met in 2018 when Middleton's therapy dog Ella "made a beeline" for Thevenet, instead of a nearby water bowl, at a London sports club. "Rather embarrassed, I went over to apologize and bring Ella back," Middleton told The Telegraph in an interview earlier this year. "Little did I know, but I had just met my future wife, all thanks to Ella... If I hadn't trusted Ella, I wouldn't have brought her to the South Kensington Club and she wouldn't have been able to say hi to the woman who became my fiancée." (L-R) Michael Middleton, Carole Middleton, Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Eliza Lopes, Lady Louise Windsor, Grace van Cutsem, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Margarita Armstrong-Jones, page boys Tom Pettifer and William Lowther-Pinkerton with Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Pippa Middleton, Prince Harry and James Middleton greet well-wishers from the balcony at Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011 in London, England. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images As for the Duke and Duchess, they will now return home, but not before the entire family completes mandatory COVID-19 testing. Daily Mail noted, because France is on the UK's amber list, Kate and William, along with George and Charlotte, must be tested on or before the second day after returning. Little Louis, who is under the age of five, is exempt. But, we'd call families getting to reunite for happy occasions again well-worth the swab Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit