James Middleton and fiancee Alizee Thevenet held secret wedding party at luxury chateau in Provence

This is the luxury chateau where James Middleton and his bride Alizee Thevenet celebrated their secret wedding at the weekend, MailOnline can reveal.

The couple were joined by 50 guests including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children at the Chateau Leoube, an exclusive vineyard in the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas in Provence that produces some of France‘s finest rose wine.

A source in the village told MailOnline: ‘The wedding party was held at a Chateau Leoube. It is one of the most exclusive vineyards in the area.

‘Chateau Leoube makes exceptionally good wine, particularly the rose, which is known throughout France and overseas.

‘So it was only natural that the guests were served with Chateau Leoube wine, which they drank when they toasted James and Alizee. Many bottles of wine were drunk. Everyone had a good time.’

The newly-weds and many of their guests are understood to have stayed the night at Chateau Leoube. Earlier the couple had been married by the mayor at the town hall.

Chateau Leoube is owned by British billionaire JCB chairman Anthony Bamford and his wife Carole.

Carole is quoted on the vineyard’s website about how the couple fell in love with the place when they set eyes upon it in 1997.

She says: ‘Anthony and I had been looking for a house in Provence for a while when we eventually found Léoube, our sleeping beauty.

‘Set back from a quiet bay on the coastline, the house had been owned by the same family for years but hadn’t really been touched – we fell in love with it.’

She said that the previous owners had been producing rosé wine at Léoube in small quantities and we wanted to honour this tradition and continue to work with the unique terroir and setting of this historic château.

‘But we also hoped to build on their foundation and push the winemaking at Léoube in order to create wines of exceptional quality that could be shared more widely. Having turned our own family farm over to organic principles in the UK, we wanted to bring the same sustainable, natural approach to Léoube, working with the rhythm of the seasons to preserve and protect the land and to produce wines in harmony with nature’s cycles.

‘As founders of an organic farm, what was most attractive and fascinating to us at Léoube is its soil. Provence is home to some of the oldest vineyards in France and the soil there dates back over 800 million years.

‘The seabeds once sat on the estate’s land, which saturated the soil with an array of minerals. Much of Léoube’s distinct flavours come from its soil and the gentle hint of the sea that infuses the vines on this land.

‘We arrived at Léoube in 1997 and began the process of converting the vineyard and olive grove to become organic. When we bought the estate, we asked our neighbour, Jean-Jacques Ott, to help guide us through the conversion process.

‘Later his son Romain came to work for us – we call him little Ott. Romain brings a unique sensibility to the winemaking at Léoube, blending traditional techniques with new technology to create elegant, balanced wines that reflect his expertise and mastery of his craft.

‘His skill is matched by his passion and it’s been a real honour to work with him to develop our range. We’re very proud of the fact that all our wines, particularly the rosés, are consistently recognised as striking and excellent examples of their terroir. Léoube is now sold in over 30 countries around the world and there is so much more we would like to do to bring this beautiful terroir to people’s homes.’

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took their children to the Cote d’Azur to see James marry his French fiancée at their secret wedding over the weekend. 

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were with their parents Kate and Prince William to watch their uncle James wed Alizee Thevenet in the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas on Saturday.

But the future king and queen, and their royal children, weren’t the guests of honour – the couple’s dogs were – with golden retriever Mabel even photobombing the wedding pictures. Mr Middleton, 34, wrote on Instagram: ‘Yesterday I married the love of my life surrounded by family, friends and of course a few dogs.’

The couple got engaged in September 2019 but had to delay the ceremony twice in the last year due to Covid.

Mr Middleton and Miss Thevenet, a trilingual French financial analyst, also in her 30s, met in 2018 when his cocker spaniel, Ella, approached her at a private members’ club in London.

France is on the UK’s amber list so Kate and William, who are vaccinated, must get tested on or before the second day after returning. George and Charlotte also face a PCR test – but Louis, who is under 5, is exempt.

The five Cambridges attended the event, along with James’ other sister, socialite Pippa, and her businessman husband James Matthews. Their parents Carole and Michael Middleton, and James beloved dogs, Luna and Mabel, are also thought to have watched them walk down the aisle.

Announcing his marriage with a picture of him and bride Alizée on Instagram yesterday evening, James said: ‘Words cannot describe how happy I am.’