She is the quintessential English rose. But it was a thoroughly French affair when actress Keira Knightley married in a low-key ceremony in sun-drenched Provence yesterday.
In a scene filled with bohemian chic and so idyllic it could have been one of her films, she skipped into the ceremony with girlish excitement, wearing daisies in her hair.
The bride exchanged vows with James Righton, singer and keyboard player with pop band Klaxons, in the town hall – or La Mairie – of the hilltop village of Mazan in the south of France.
Mr and Mrs: Keira Knightley and James Righton looked picture perfect as they headed to the Mazan Town Hall, in France, where they married today
Thrilled: The happy couple can barely contain their excitement as they get married
Beaming smile: The actress was seen smiling happily as she emerged from the ceremony hand in hand with her new husband, Klaxons musician James Righton
Dressed in an above-the-knee strapless tulle dress, cropped Chanel boucle jacket and ballet pumps, Keira, 28, star of Atonement and Pride And Prejudice, looked utterly carefree.
She arrived hand-in-hand with the groom after being driven to the venue in the back of a grey Renault Clio.
James, 29, who was introduced to Keira by television presenter Alexa Chung in 2011 and proposed last May, opted for a navy blue suit and light blue tie. The couple both wore sunglasses.
They swept into the picturesque village, which boasts traditional Provencal sloping stone roofs and ramparts dating back to the 12th Century, just after 11.30am for the service in the grand Hotel De Ville, three miles from where the bride’s family own a £3 million farmhouse.
The town was once the home of the Marquis de Sade, France’s greatest sexual adventurer.
Many of the wedding guests were staying in his former home, the Chateau de Mazan, which has been converted into a five-star hotel.
Relaxed: The actress, who is estimated to be worth around £30million wed her musician beau in a low-key ceremony in the south of France
Relaxed: After exchanging vows, the delighted couple drove away in a silver Renault Clio
Nearest and dearest: The couple wed in front of an audience of just 11 guests, many of whom chose casual attire for the ceremony today
Laidback: Guests applauded the happy couple as they made their way down the steps and into a waiting carBeaming with pride, the bride’s mother, playwright Sharman Macdonald, 62, wore a blue and white silk dress as she made her way into the town hall with her husband, actor Will Knightley, 67.
Other guests reflected the laid-back, bohemian mood of the day, dressing casually in chinos and open shirts and trainers.
The 30-minute ceremony was conducted in French by the local mayor, Aime Navello, with an English translation provided by his daughter.
It took place in front of just 11 guests, including the groom’s Klaxons bandmates.
Speaking after the service, Mr Navello, a retired headmaster, told how the couple became man and wife after saying a simple ‘Oui’ instead of the traditional ‘I do’.
‘We had a translator as I read out the marriage act in French,’ he said.
Va va voom: Keira and James opted for a silver Renault Clio rather than a flashy motor to whisk them to their post-ceremony celebrations
The carriage awaits: Keira’s small party of 11 guests clapped as she left the building holding tight to her new husband’s hand‘As is customary, I asked Keira first if she would accept James. We had wondered whether they might reply “I do” like the English.
‘In fact, as we posed the question in both French and English, they both replied with a “Oui” and a “Yes”.’
But Mr Navello admitted he had never heard of the bride – a global star and household name who has built up a £30 million fortune.
He added: ‘The first I heard of the marriage was a couple of days ago when someone in my town hall who knew Keira took a message which asked for complete secrecy.
‘I kept my word and didn’t even inform any of my 27 town councillors.
The simple life: The high-profile couple chose this picturesque building in a sun-soaked corner of the south of France for their springtime nuptials‘Normally I know most of the couples I marry. Many of them are children I used to teach, but I haven’t heard of Keira, nor for that matter James.
‘Keira was a charming bride, very modest and simple in her attitude, as was James. I got the impression that it was a very moving experience for both of them.’
Just after midday the newlyweds emerged into sunshine as man and wife where they were greeted by a small group of guests and cheers from well-wishers.
‘It was a very moving ceremony,’ said one. ‘Keira looked extremely moved by the whole thing – there were certainly tears of happiness.
‘There were cheers of “Well done, Keira” when she came out, but there were so few people present so they didn’t make much noise.’
The couple were then driven back to the Knightley family farmhouse to continue the celebrations at a reception for 50 guests, including actress Sienna Miller and Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Bed and bawd: Guests stayed at Marquis de Sade’s Chateau de Mazan
Courtship: The actress is seen left strolling with her now husband James Righton in New York, and right, meeting at the airport ahead of their wedding
Picturesque: A marquee could be glimpsed through a row of trees lining Ms Knightley’s £3million farmhouse in Provence yesterday
Read more: DailyMail
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