Carole Middleton's wedding dress gets 'second lease of life' at son James's private wedding

Carole Middleton's wedding dress took another trip down the aisle this year, after over forty years in hibernation. 

• Carole Middleton's wedding dress has been revived after 41 years in hiding, much to the delight of fashion-savvy royal fans. 
• The Duchess of Cambridge's mother gifted the vintage dress to her son's wife, Alizée Thevenet, after she "fell in love" with it during wedding preparations. 
• In other royal news, Kate Middleton has a secret code word that she uses to get her children to behave.
  

Kate Middleton's mother gifted her wedding dress to Alizée Thevenet after the bride-to-be "fell in love" with its design during preparations for her big day. 

The French financial analyst, who tied the knot with long-term partner James Middleton last week, was blown away by Carole's off-the-shoulder floor-length gown when she first laid eyes on it during lockdown. 

She ended up wearing the vintage dress for her intimate wedding reception at a vineyard in southern France, which was attended by an exclusive guest list of 50 close friends and family members. Prince William and Kate Middleton were also there to celebrate the occasion, jetting in with their three children for the romantic ceremony. 

Speaking to Hello! magazine in an exclusive interview, Alizée gushed over the memory of finding the perfect dress. She had been staying at the Middletons' family home in Berkshire when she was introduced to her future mother-in-law's bridal gown, an heirloom that's been sitting in storage for 41 years. 

"While talking about dresses with Carole and sharing ideas during lockdown for inspiration, I tried on her wedding dress and fell in love with it," she told Hello! magazine. "It fitted me perfectly and was exactly what I wanted. It always troubled me that wedding dresses are only worn once, so it was amazing to give such a beautiful dress a second lease of life."

Notably different from Kate Middleton's wedding dress, Carole's white gown features an off-the-shoulder neckline embellished with zigzag lace fabric. It's also much looser than many of the popular royal dresses in recent history, gently draping down the body and sweeping effortlessly to the floor to cover footwear. Alizée allowed the dress to speak for itself, pairing it with minimal jewelry and a breezy half-up hairdo. 

Kate Middleton also kept it relatively low-key with her look, turning up for her younger brother's nuptials in a long, pale green dress. William too emulated this casual style, wearing a beige and off-white suit for the event.