Prince Harry's pal Alex Gilkes celebrates his 40th birthday alongside girlfriend Maria Sharapova with lavish flamenco-themed bash in Spain
- Alex Gilkes and his girlfriend Maria Sharapova celebrated his 40th birthday
- They showcased their weekend of fun in Andalusia, Spain, on Instagram
- The Old Etonian is the founder of online auction platform Paddle 8
- Pals with Princes Harry & William and was married to Meghan's pal Misha Nonoo
Prince Harry’s friend Alex Gilkes and his tennis ace girlfriend Maria Sharapova, 32, have celebrated his 40th birthday in style.
Showcasing their weekend of fun on Instagram, the well-connected couple marked the occasion with a flamenco-themed bash in Andalusia, Spain, with their pals.
The Old Etonian, who celebrated his birthday on the 16 July, is the founder of online auction platform Paddle 8, and was previously married to the Duchess of Sussex’s best friend, fashion designer Misha Nonoo, for four years.
Pictured attending Princess Eugenie's wedding last October, he is said to be good pals with Princes William and Harry, who also attended Eton College.
Prince Harry’s friend Alex Gilkes and his girlfriend, glamorous tennis ace Maria Sharapova, have celebrated his 40th birthday in style (pictured together) - seen in Spain this weekend
Showcasing their weekend of fun on Instagram, the well-connected couple marked the occasion with a flamenco-themed bash in Andalusia, Spain, pictured. Left to right: Maria Sharapova, Alex, model Rianne ten Haken, and pals Margot Pascal Derksen and Natalia Blaskovicova
Dressed to impress, the friend of Jay-Z shares a snap from Andalusia as he donned a ruffled, light blue shirt, which he teamed with a white blazer and a black bow tie.
He finished his ensemble with dark blue trousers, a black studded belt and a stylish wide brimmed sombrero.
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Yet it was his girlfriend, Russian tennis start Maria, 32, who commanded attention in a £1,083 Zimmerman floral red dress, featuring a plunging neckline and ruffled sleeves.
The billowing number was paired with a flamboyant floral headband, shimmering drop earrings and black strappy sandals.
Alex and Maria, who were first linked at the beginning of last year, were joined by the socialite's brother, Chelsea nightclub owner Charlie Gilkes.
The Old Etonian (pictured) is the founder of online auction platform Paddle 8, and was previously married to the Duchess of Sussex’s best friend, fashion designer Misha Nonoo, for four years
Russian tennis start Maria, 32, commanded attention in a £1,083 Zimmerman floral red dress, featuring a plunging neckline and ruffled sleeves
The billowing number was paired with a flamboyant floral headband, shimmering drop earrings and black strappy sandals
Dance the night away like Maria in a Zimmermann dress
Maria Sharapova celebrated her birthday in style with a flamenco themed party where she decided to wear a red floral dress by Zimmermann.
The tennis star added a floral headdress to the look to add to the flamenco theme. We love this look on her and how it works so effortlessly. A floral maxi dress can take you a long way. This one in particular is perfect for parties, weddings and more! Make like Maria and dance the night away in a ruffle dress.
This one is so popular it is sold out! But do click right if you want to be on the wait list. If you can't wait another minute, check out our picks below from brands like WAYF, Free People and Boohoo.
Taking to Instagram, Alex captioned his birthday snaps, 'A touch of flamenco', while his partner replied, 'An unforgettable weekend'.
Posting her own photographs, the sports star wrote: 'A weekend for the record books. Happy Birthday,' as well as: 'Don’t want this festive Spanish weekend to end.'
And last week, the businessman visited the Tate Modern Museum - sharing a collection of clips from his adventure to Instagram.
'Tonight I visited @studioolafureliasson inspiring journey through the elements @tate,' he wrote. 'It was an appropriate journey of metaphors on the eve of my 5th decade.'
He added: 'Am I really 40? While the last decade allowed me to sprint, often too fast... way too fast, take risks, sometimes with success and other times with failure, build rewarding and faltering relationships, travel the world and continue to learn so much, what lies in store for the next 10?
Alex and Maria, who were first linked at the beginning of last year, were joined by the socialite's brother, Chelsea nightclub owner Charlie Gilkes
The couple (pictured left) enjoyed an 'unforgettable weekend' in Spain with friends and family
Alex, who lives in New York, co-founded online art auction house Paddle8 in 2010 and briefly employed Princess Eugenie – who he refers to as ‘Eug’. Pictured: Photographs of the sunset during the weekend
'The clichés of this age and stage remain true: You trust your inner critic and gut more than ever, you value sleep, you embrace your eccentricities, you remember Nintendo Duck Hunt and Reebok pumps, your social circle gets smaller and you cut ties with any toxic relationships, your preference for experience outweighs your desire for things and hangovers are harder to recover from.
He continued: 'What are the hopes for the next? I can only hope that I can continue to be curious, that I put kindness above all, that I worry less about what others think, and take more conviction in my path and vocation, that I prioritise and focus on the extraordinary loved ones I have around me, and make sure that my back does not give in.'
Alex, who lives in New York, co-founded online art auction house Paddle8 in 2010 and briefly employed Princess Eugenie – who he refers to as ‘Eug’.
Gilke's is good friends with the Royal family and attended the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 (pictured greeting Kate in 2014)
Alexander Gilkes pictured with the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and her daughter Princess Eugenie in 2014
Paddle8 pioneered a new era of fine art trading, with online auctions for the ‘middle market’ of $100,000 or less.
He married New York fashion designer and Meghan Markle's pal Misha Nonoo, once rumoured to have set her up with Prince Harry, in 2012, but they split in 2016.
The art auctioneer - who speaks fluent Russian - has royal connections since he went to Eton with Prince William and Prince Harry.
Eugenie and her sister Beatrice were both at Alex's 2012 wedding where US pop star Lana Del Rey performed.
He also in return attended Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank.
Pippa Middleton, thought to be a former flame of his younger brother Charlie, and James Middleton were also at the wedding, while his friends are said to include Sir Elton John, Madonna and Eddie Redmayne.
Alex also attended both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in May 2018 and Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge's in April 2011.
And last week, the businessman visited the Tate Modern Museum - sharing a collection of clips from his adventure to Instagram
'Tonight I visited @studioolafureliasson inspiring journey through the elements @tate,' he wrote. 'It was an appropriate journey of metaphors on the eve of my 5th decade.'
