When Nicky Hilton, fashion designer and heir to the Hilton Hotels fortune, met James Rothschild, financier and heir to the Rothschild banking fortune, at a wedding in Rome in 2011, there must have been a spark of recognition that only heirs with famous last names can share. There may have been other kinds of sparks too, as the two twenty-somethings were both knockouts. They dated for a few years until James proposed in August 2014, back in Italy, during a romantic boat ride on Lake Como.
They were married at Kensington Palace in July 2015, with Nicky’s sister Paris as the maid of honor.
“They’re just perfect for each other. They’re best friends,” Paris told People Magazine before their wedding. “They’re so loyal and in love. They’re the ultimate couple. They’re like a prince and princess.”
Nicky and James welcomed their first child, Lily-Grace Victoria, nearly a year to the date after their wedding. Their second child, Theodora (Teddy) Marilyn, came in December 2017. And in July 2022, they welcomed their third child, Chasen – becoming “officially a party of 5!” as Nicky wrote on Instagram.
The couple are both pursuing ambitious careers, Nicky in fashion design and James in finance, requiring a lot of travel and time away from home. But Nicky sets a clear rule for managing their schedules.
“We will not leave the children alone. So we try and divvy up our work trips and make sure that we’re always present,” she says.
The mother of three feels that it’s important to set a good example for her children in terms of balancing work and family life. But Nicky places a big priority on time with James, saying, “We always try and just make that special alone-time date night.”
While premiering her MyTheresa holiday collection last winter, Nicky told People that her mother, Kathy, was a great example for her in terms of rules for a great marriage.
“She told me to never stop having fun, never go to bed angry, and just to stop and smell the roses and enjoy every moment,” said Nicky.
They’ve built a wonderful home together in New York, halfway between their homes in LA and London, respectively. The penthouse was featured in Architectural Digest in 2018 and features several antiques and heirlooms from the Rothschild family collection. Nicky, however, made sure that the home was kid-friendly.
“I grew up in a house full of antiques and rooms you weren’t allowed to go in,” Nicky told AD. “As a child, I told myself that when I’m grown up, I would have a house where no room is off-limits.”
The couple haven’t revealed plans for their tenth anniversary in July, but it will surely involve some well-deserved time alone together.
