Emma Watson became internationally recognised for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in Harry Potter at the age of 11. Despite amassing a fortune as she filmed the eight-part film series over her teenage years, it was years before she decided to splash out on a French property.
Following her A-levels in 2008, the 18-year-old actress celebrated by investing in a $1.2 million luxury chalet in the celebrity skiing hotspot, Meribel.
Emma is believed to be a very competent skier, so investing in the 1,450m-high resort, which is relatively snow-sure, would have allowed her to quietly retreat to France for the winter season over the past 18 years.
Not only is it part of the world's largest interconnected ski area with 600 km of groomed slopes covering Courchevel and Val Thorens, but Meribel is also a summer holiday attraction for hikers, golfers and mountain bikers.
"The house is Emma’s way of celebrating her recent straight As at A-level and finally getting her hands on some of her hard-earned cash,” a friend told The Telegraph. "She worked really hard this year and didn’t have much of a birthday party so this was her present to herself."
The Beauty and the Beast actress is notoriously private, but she was pictured skiing in high-end resort Courchevel with friends in December 2024, looking relaxed and confident on the slopes before taking a break for a coffee and a FaceTime.
Keeping a low profile, Emma wore black ski trousers, a baby blue checked ski coat that she tied round her waist in the warm sunshine, and a reindeer antler headband.
Connection to France
Emma has long had a connection with France, having been born in Paris and living there until she was five. Opening up about how moving to the UK after her parents' divorce impacted her childhood, she said on the 'On Purpose with Jay Shetty' podcast: "My family structure has not been a traditional family structure. That feeling of knowing that I'm from a situation where we just don't quite fit the nuclear family mould.
"I think coming back from France and trying to figure out how to integrate and being the eldest and having my younger brother and having my mom and trying to be some glue or holding together for everyone's feelings."
© InstagramShe has continued to hold onto her fond memories of France, making it her mission to perfect the language. "I always have the same New Year’s resolution: to speak French fluently," Emma told Marie Claire. "I get a huge wave of nostalgia when I come into the Gare du Nord. There’s such an emphasis on culture, art and music… And I’ll do anything for a warm baguette."
When she's not making the most of her French chalet, she can also visit her family vineyard in Chablis, which she shares with her brother Alex. Known as Domaine Watson, the vineyard was planted by their father, Chris, over 30 years ago, and it has been creating award-winning wines since then. In 2023, Emma and Alex launched their gin brand called Renais.
However, her primary base remains the UK, where she owns a four-bedroom home in Canonbury Place in Islington. She is currently studying for a PhD in Literature at the University of Oxford.
