The long-time rooters of P-Mid may be aflutter now that Britain’s most eligible bachelorette is officially off the single’s market, but let us indulge in a quick trip around the almost-royal and get a load of why Prince William would have fared better with this Middleton – if that’s of any solace to your ailing hearts.
Growing up in Chapel Row, a village near Newbury, Berkshire, Pippa was born as Philippa Charlotte Middleton – the second of the three children of Carole and Michael Middleton, who ran a highly successful party planning business. She attended Britain’s most elite schools – first St Andrew’s School in Pangbourne, then Downe House, a girls’ boarding school, and then Malborough College at Wiltshire. Organised and attentive, she was known for being the more outgoing and popular among the Middleton sisters. She went on to study English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, where she only hung out with the kids of dukes and earls – and her group of friends came to be known as the “castle crew.” During her college years, she dated George Percy – the Duke of Northumberland's son – whose family castle was used as the Hogwarts castle in the Harry Potter films! No wonder she seemed so well-adjusted to royalty (by association) even before her sister, Kate, tied the knot with Prince William. She would have certainly made for a way more effervescent and charming royal than the present Duchess of Cambridge. Here are 15 reasons why Prince William should have married the younger Middleton.
15 Pippa Is Definitely The More Outgoing Of the Two
According to a British tabloid, an “insider” has revealed that Pippa has always been more outgoing while Kate was somewhat “of a loner.” And this had apparently led to clashes between them as teenagers. The source added: “This led to a bit of a friction between them and Pippa would sometimes take pleasure in winding her up. Things got better by the time Kate was 18 as she’d be invited to parties and Pippa would always want to tag along. As always, all the attention would go to Pippa and she’d compete with her sister over boys.” It’s alright Kate, we feel you – but it’s always better to accept the truth even if you have to do it with a pinch of salt.
14 Pippa Rocked Her Wedding Gown In A Way Kate Could Not Even Manage In Her Dreams
Pippa, on her wedding day, was the perfect blend of old and new, showing off her curves just right – and making sure to cause enough fashion frenzy around the globe. She looked willowy in a Giles Deacon high-neck gown that was modern yet traditional in equal doses. The hand-crafted lace sculpted around her figure created a seamless sheath that showed off the almost-royal’s athletic build with aplomb. The edgy cap sleeves the cut-out back revealed just enough skin to modernise the otherwise conservative silhouette. Her face was covered in a delicate bespoke tulle veil with dotted pearls. She also wore a Maidenhair fern tiara by Robison Pelham, the Middleton family’s go-to jeweller and ivory satin pumps by Manolo Blahnik with pearl detailing. On the whole, she looked way better than her royal sister did at her wedding.
13 At Prince William's Wedding, It Was Not His Wife But The Maid Of Honour Who Stole The Show In A Rear-Skimming Dress
No one, and least of all Pippa, could have anticipated the attention that her bridesmaid dress would go on to garner. She was catapulted to the limelight when she appeared at the royal wedding and images of her pert posterior began being broadcasted across the globe in no time. The incident would perhaps go down in history with Pippa Middleton being known as the bridesmaid who stole the spotlight from her older sister – the Duchess of Cambridge – as she walked the aisle with the second in line to the throne. Later, in an interview, she told The Today Show: “It was completely unexpected. You know, I think the plan was not really for it to be a significant dress. Really just to sort of blend in with the train. [I’m] glad it fitted… In retrospect, it fitted a little too well.”
12 When It Comes To Sound Advice, Pippa Happens To Be More Reliable
According to an insider, the Duchess of Cambridge tended to get dating advice from her little sister. We are not surprised, because these days, Pippa seems to be offering a lot of advice through her new books. Be it on party planning or cooking, the little Middleton has quite a few tips up her sleeve. She can even give you her two cents on fitness – all you have to do is ask! Because, diet wise, Pippa believes in eating healthy – eating three meals a day, mainly focusing on wholegrain, energy-fuelled carbohydrates. She told Women’s Health magazine: “I also increase my portion sizes based on my training level, with lots of brown rice, lentils, quinoa and sweet potato, and for breakfast, porridge and rye roast.”
11 Talk About Sports? Pippa's Got That Covered Too
Both the Middleton sisters played on the field hockey team at the boarding school – Marlborough College – they attended as teenagers. According to a biography of Kate, “The two girls would have spray tans and blow-dries together, and decide which social events to attend…Kate had felt she wanted to edge towards a more stable and mature lifestyle, favouring chilled nights at home and family events.” Pippa, on the other hand, was super athletic. Being the more sporty among the two, she has biked across America, run marathons and competed in ski races. She has participated in a cross-country ski race across Norway, braved a Swiss Alps mountain climb and has a 4,800km cycling record under her belt. No wonder she is in such great shape.
10 Pippa Isn't Just A Party Girl With No Substance, She Has Studied Literature After All
Pippa Middleton may come across as just another “social butterfly” but she has studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh – that, in itself, sheds enough light on her intellectual credibility. She is also credited with developing the Party Pieces blog for the Middleton family business. In an interview with Daily Mail, she had revealed that she hoped her book Heartfelt would help people realise that she was not “just a party girl with no substance.” If anything, the “privileged socialite” tag upsets her. “People see me as someone privileged who has used [her] position to advantage… that I don’t really work, that I am a socialite – that word really annoys me.” She added: “People seem to think I must have lots of support helping me but I don’t, it’s just me.”
9 With A Cookbook To Her Name, There Are No Prizes For Guessing How She Would Fare In The Kitchen
Contrary to popular belief, Pippa Middleton, it seems, knows more than a thing or two about cooking. Her cookbook called Heartfelt, features more than 100 healthy recipes ticked off by the British Heart Foundation’s dieticians fore low salt and sugar levels. It also includes recipes contributed by Olympic triathlon medal winners Alistair and Jonny Brownlee and tennis acer Roger Federer. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! The junior Middleton learned how to cook whole working as a kitchen assistant in a local Berkshire gastro-pub during her gap year at university. About her experience, she told The Telegraph: “I reached the dizzy heights of chief ‘ciabatta roll-maker’, stuffing ox-tongue and horseradish into baguettes every lunchtime!” Do you still have questions about her cooking skills?
8 Pippa Is Also Quite A Star When It Comes To Party Planning
Pippa Middleton is quite widely known in the circles for her exceptional party planning know-how. And this goes beyond the penning of her first book, Celebrate, which includes more than a few handful tips on successful party-planning. The world first became aware of Pippa’s party planning prowess when she planned her sister Catherine – the Duchess of Cambridge – and Prince William’s royal wedding post party complete with disco balls and an early morning breakfast. She reportedly had a hand in everything – right from the flowers to the linen. She is even said to have helped choose the menu. And the result of course, was no less than phenomenal! Pippa also has her own blog, The Party Times, where she writes about the “do’s and don’t’s” to throwing parties.
7 For Her First Job, She Worked In A Public Relations Firm - She Definitely Would Have Made A Better Royal
Today, Pippa may have a couple of books (Celebrate and Heartfelt) to her credit, having also enjoyed her stint as a contributing editor for Vanity Fair – but her first role in the job market was as a Public Relations expert. Following her graduation, she temporarily worked at a public relations firm promoting luxury products. She then had an events management job with Table Talk – a company based in London that organises corporate events and parties. In 2013, Pippa started her own company PXM Enterprises of which she is the sole director. And by 2014, she had reportedly made over $350,000! She has also been to a regular columnist for several publications including The Spectator magazine and The Sunday Telegraph, having written a fortnightly sports and social column for the latter. Can you think of a better royal? Nah!
6 Pippa Has A Great Sense Of Humour
P-Mid doesn’t believe in playing the dumb, doe-eyed damsel and is quite vocal when it comes to calling out a spade – especially when the discussion involves her meteoric rise to stardom. And boy! This girl does have a sense of humour. Speaking about the overwhelming attention that her shapely tush received at her sister Kate’s royal wedding – hauling her to fame overnight – Pippa quipped: “As I have found out, recognition has its upside, its downside and – you may say – its backside.” In another column that she wrote to defend one of her books from criticism, she jested: “Maybe I should write a sequel and call it Bottoms Up?” – once again alluding to the devotion her toned derriere is used to receiving!
5 In 2008, Tatler Named Her No.1 Society Singleton
Some Tatler articles may be have been known to describe Pippa as someone “who goes to a lot of parties, but mainly as caterer” but that did not stop the magazine from naming this Middleton Junior as “The Number 1 Society Singleton”, riding ahead of the likes of singer-songwriter James Blunt and Princess Eugenie of York. Ever since, print and online publications across the globe have been running endless stories on her boosted celebrity profile, her sense of style, her party-girl persona, her climb up Britain’s social calendar and of course, her public image. Glamour magazines everywhere have been hankering to have her pose for their covers and grant interviews while high-end designers have been keen to have her walk in their creations. What more, in April 2012, Time magazine listed her as of the 100 most influential people in the world.
4 The Girl Knows How To Wow In A Bikini, Too
We are all well-aware that Kate Middleton’s sister has curves worthy of stealing the entire limelight off a royal wedding, but P-Mid in a bikini is a different ballgame altogether. It is perhaps one of the most enthusing sights that one can ever hope for! Her holidays are endless and so are our chances of spotting this hot-bod in bikinis. Remember her family vacation in St Barts, where she was pictured showing off her rocking body atop a paddleboard? The fitness-obsessed royal in-law was wearing a barely-there purple and white patterned string bikini as she effortlessly paddled along, donning shades and looking blissfully cool and collected. Just a few days before this, she was spotted making a jaw-dropping display in a red-hot Vix Bikini, flaunting her gym-honed washboard abs and shapely thighs.
3 She Gets Along Very Well With Prince Harry
Not only do the pair get along like a house on fire, Prince Harry also seems to have a secret nickname for this Middleton Junior – one that has led to numerous speculations over whether or not Kate’s little sister wore any knickers under her slinky ivory dress at the royal wedding. You might think, Prince Harry knows the answer – given he calls her “Commando”. According to The Sun, a source was quoted saying: “She thinks he’s got a really cheeky sense of humour.” Pippa, on the other hand, prefers calling him “Captain” because of his Army rank. The pair have always got along well and was even spotted once having late afternoon at The Troubadour pub in Chelsea. Also, according to several onlookers, “there was a real spark between them” even at the royal wedding.
2 Also, Those Legs!
Setting aside all her assets, the ever so classy Pippa Middleton also has an incredible pair of legs. It must be said. It must be celebrated. She’s beautiful – that of course, is clear. But those legs! She is as good as any British glamour model and can give quite a few Hollywood A-listers a run for their money, because she is not one to keep her never-ending legs hidden under long gowns or skinny jeans. She knows how to give them the optimum bit of exposure, pulling off every look with panache without looking ridiculously revealing. This picture of her in London as she hit the Roof Gardens Club in a smart blazer teamed with a short, ruffled dress showing of her impressive legs, is proof enough.
1 When It Comes To Style, The Duchess Has A Lot To learn From Her Sister
The Duchess must be by now used to being upstaged by her younger sister at every public event. Because Pippa Middleton does it again, and again, and again. She always manages to look more elegant, more stylish and, needless to say, she has a great sense of fashion. Being the younger sister of Kate Middleton is not easy but Pippa seems to have carved a niche out of herself into becoming one of the most trendy and tasteful women in the planet. Of late, the younger Middleton appears to have developed an inclination for demure dresses and simple, sophisticated accessories that work wonders for her. She mixes high street with designer and always manages to look effortlessly chic and ultra feminine.
Sources: TheTelegraph.co.uk, DailyMail.co.uk, Vogue.com, The Guardian
