It must be hard to be a commoner sibling to a royal, but Pippa Middleton makes being Kate Middleton's sister look easy and fun. She's found little ways to step out of Kate's shadow, has her own interests and hobbies, and enjoys plenty of benefits from the monarchy — such as the royal press box at Wimbledon. (Best seats in the house!)
It may help that Pippa is Kate's younger sister by a year, so there was always a bit of a shadow there to begin with — even before Kate married a prince. But Pippa's enjoyed her own taste of fame by being related to Kate, and at the end of the day, she gets to go back to her semi-normal life with her own career and shred of privacy. (We bet Kate is actually jealous of her sister at times because of her relative anonymity.) In general, though, the two seem to get along really well. They even dress alike on occasion.
We rounded up everything royal fans need to know about Pippa, and there are some juicy fun facts ahead.
Pippa Is Not Her Real Name.
According to Express, Pippa's given name is Philippa, but her nickname, Pippa — Pip to her family — is what ended up sticking. Her middle name is Charlotte, which makes Princess Charlotte's name a little homage to her aunt. (Aww.) Just goes to show how close Kate and her sister are that she named her daughter after her.
She Has an English Degree.
Kate Middleton majored in art history at the University of St. Andrews, but Pippa went to Edinburgh University and majored in English. That degree came in handy for Pippa's various jobs moving forward, but what a shame that Pippa didn't go to St. Andrews too. She could have met and married William instead (kidding, LOL).
She Worked for Her Parents' Party Planning Company.
After graduating, the London Evening Standard reported that Pippa began editing Party Times, the online magazine for her parents' company. The Middletons run Party Pieces, an event-planning business, and though the magazine doesn't appear to exist anymore, the company does have a blog — so maybe Pippa still has a hand in that. Then again, Pippa does seem to be pretty busy with other things these days.
She's Written for Various High-Profile Magazines.
As she moved on from the Party Times, Pippa put her English degree to work writing for publications such as Vanity Fair, and the Daily Telegraph. She wrote about topics that interested her such as tennis, food, and trying out new hobbies — like flamenco dancing and roller skiing. She doesn't write for them anymore, but her articles were a fun peek inside her real life.
She's an Author.
She's a Wife & Mom.
In October 2018, Pippa gave birth to Arthur, her first child with husband James Matthews. James is an ex-race car driver and hedge fund manager with a seriously interesting brother. Spencer Matthews was the lead of the British version of The Bachelor and appeared in projects such as Made in Chelsea and Sharknado 5. We love that at Pippa's wedding, her Bachelor star brother-in-law was in attendance.
Before James, Pippa Dated a Relative of Princess Diana's.
In 2009, Pippa dated millionaire Alexander Spencer Churchill, who is reportedly a distant relative of Princess Diana, according to ABC News. Just imagine if Pippa had married Alexander instead of James. She would have been related to Prince William and Prince Harry!
She Inspired Plastic Surgery Requests.
After Pippa appeared at Kate Middleton's wedding, the internet was abuzz about Pippa's rear in her slinky white dress. Miami plastic surgeon Dr. Constantino Mendieta told Good Morning America that he saw a rise in people asking for "butt lifts" after her appearance, many specifically naming Pippa as their inspiration for going under the knife.
... But Pippa Thinks Kim Kardashian's Butt Is Better.
In 2014, Pippa wrote an article for The Spectator where she awarded the "Rear of 2014" award to Kim Kardashian because of her infamous "break the internet" nude shot for Paper magazine.
"I must say that mine — though it has enjoyed fleeting fame — is not comparable," Pippa wrote. She's made light about being the literal butt of the joke before, previously writing, "As I have found out, recognition has its upside, its downside and — you may say — its backside."
Clever.
She Earned a 'Tatler' Magazine Honor.
Even before she exploded onto the scene at Kate's 2011 wedding, Pippa was the talk of the town. The Evening Standard reported that in 2008, she was named Tatler's "Number One Society Singleton" — aka most eligible bachelorette — ahead of even Princess Eugenie. And, again, this was before she was really famous.
She's a Fashion Designer.
Like her sister, Pippa loves fashion, so she leapt at the chance to collaborate with designer Tabitha Webb in 2015. The two created a dress and scarf set, with proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation. The scarf cost $145 and the dress $450, so they likely raised quite a bit for the charity.
She's Extremely Charitable.
Another thing Pippa has in common with Kate is her desire to help others. Pippa has a few patronages of her own, even though she's not a royal. She's the ambassador for the Mary Hare School for deaf children, the breast cancer research foundation Too Many Women, and the British Heart Foundation.
She Didn't Want Meghan Markle at Her Wedding.
Pippa's charitable nature only goes so far. She reportedly didn't want Prince Harry to bring his then-girlfriend Meghan Markle to her wedding. It seems her reasoning was that she didn't want Meghan's appearance to overshadow her big day. Meanwhile, Pippa did get an invite to Meghan's wedding, so …
She's Got a Super High Net Worth.
Most of Pippa Middleton's current financial situation is thanks to her husband's money. Pippa was reportedly worth $1 million before marrying James (not too shabby!), but the couple is now worth a combined $3 billion. That puts her ahead of most royals — including her sister — when it comes to net worth.
Pippa Could Soon Get a Title of Her Own.
Move over Duchess of Cambridge, because Pippa Middleton may soon be Lady of Glen Affric. That title will become available to her when her husband inherits his father's massive Scottish estate, Glen Affric. It doesn't hold the same weight as a royal title like Duke or Duchess, but it's still pretty cool.
