20 Interesting Facts About The Beautiful And Regal Pippa Middleton

While Kate Middleton may be more well-known, make no mistake - her sister Pippa Middleton is definitely a star in her own right. You may want to recall the endless coverage of her infamous bridesmaid's dress at Kate's Royal wedding, but we guarantee there's a lot more to Pippa. She and her sister, Kate, certainly have obvious similarities in terms of looks and style. But Pippa may be just a little bit more unorthodox to what the Royals would prefer. Overall, the starlet has managed to adjust to the limelight… and there's even evidence to suggest that she's outright embraced it!

Typically we wouldn't be able to imagine that our sisters' weddings could be the catalysts that alter our entire lives. For this, we should definitely applaud Pippa Middleton for her courage and humor. Nevertheless, you might be surprised to learn that adjusting to newfound fame was not as inconceivable for Kate and Pippa as you might have guessed. The Middleton story is certainly not one of rags-to-riches, though some have treated Kate's marriage is if she'd won a lottery. From secret brothers to Swedish cross-country ski races and Scottish titles, we're pumped to share with you some details about Pippa that are certainly unexpected!

20 She's Spent A Lot Of Time In Scotland

Interestingly, like her sister Kate, Pippa opted to go to college in Scotland. The Evening Standard reported that whereas Kate went to St. Andrews to study Art History, Pippa went to the renowned University of Edinburgh and received a degree in English Literature. Her choice was definitely still in the same vein of fancy degrees that are actually pretty difficult to apply to a professional career path!

Anywho… the Middleton family have a lot of connections to Scotland. In addition to her time spent obtaining her undergraduate degree, Pippa's returns to Scotland quite often. Pippa's connections to Scotland go far beyond her college days, to her husband James!

Pippa and James actually spent part of their honeymoon at Glen Affric - a Scottish estate in the Highlands of which James' parents, according to Refinery29, are the Laird and Lady.

It's definitely hard to keep up with all the fancy titles of the UK's elite, but know that Pippa and James are set to inherit the title (along with the fancy estate!). We certainly can't blame Pippa for wanting to spend a lot of time in Scotland, especially considering the promise of such luxury! The exclusive lodge is known on occasion to host many of the UK's rich and famous, including football-star David Beckman. We can't imagine how Pippa must feel knowing it will be hers one day!

19 She Was The Popular Girl In School

You can probably tell just by looking at Pippa that she would have been one of the popular girls at school; she's got beauty, brains, and money too! According to The Evening Standard, Pippa was known as "perfect Pippa" by her classmates. To be fair, Pippa did earn the nickname; she was apparently known for being a hard worker and a "forceful presence on the university's upper-class social scene." During her time at Edinburgh, Pippa was linked to many of England's wealthiest and most eligible bachelors, which obviously also increased her popularity. Truly, Pippa always had the makings of becoming an "it" girl. Although many people outside of the UK may think that she only gained her status because of her sister's marriage, others know that she and her family were already members of the British elite. When Pippa's sister married Prince William, it was almost as if she was finally granted the role she was destined for. Ultimately, high school may be over, but Pippa is definitely still the popular girl!

18  She's A Serious Athlete

One thing that's very impressive about Pippa is the fact that she's a serious athlete. We're not talking about a bit of cardio here and there; Hello Magazine reports that she sets a major physical challenge for herself every year.

Pippa really seems to be into pushing her body to its limits, and she may even be a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

In the past, she's apparently "climbed Mont Blanc, sailed the Atlantic, and competed in the world's longest running cross-country ski race in Sweden and tackled the Coast to Coast triathlon in New Zealand involving 150 miles of running, cycling, and kayaking."  Wow. Surely none of us will ever claim to be athletes again!

Pippa's love for intense sports is honestly inspiring - it's a reminder of just how much our bodies are able to do with enough discipline and commitment. Pippa is also a big fan of tennis and a regular attendee at Wimbledon. She's an avid runner and is often seen riding her bike around London. Considering her high profile status and the number of photographers that follow her around, this is pretty impressive. Pippa has not allowed her life in the limelight to alter her commitment to physical activity, and that says a lot about her resilient personality.

17 … And She's A Foodie

There are some stereotypes about women (in relation to health, at least) that force them into one of two polarizing categories: the athlete versus the junk-food eater. Luckily Pippa defies this polarization. She happens to be an athlete who also loves food, which is totally possible and healthy. Pippa has a pretty wide-ranging taste in food. US Magazine reports that she loves sushi, and though she is generally a healthy eater, she is not one to limit her portions. She told Hello Magazine, "I try to eat whole-grain, energy fueled carbohydrates and three meals a day. 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 toast. I don't get too fussy though, because I enjoy food a lot."

Considering the number of triathlons that Pippa does, we bet she has to increase those portion sizes a lot! It's awesome that Pippa manages to balance eating healthy and responding to her cravings - she's even admitted that she loves chocolate, potato chips, and wine. We get the feeling that we indulge more than she does overall, but it makes sense that Pippa would have to be disciplined about what she eats since she's so dedicated to athletics. But knowing her love for food definitely makes her that much closer to us 'mere mortals', right?

16 She's Into Fashion

In addition to being a runner, she's often seen riding her bike around in casual denim outfits. Pippa's style is an interesting mix of fancy and expensive with sporty and accessible. She is often spotted in athleisure, which makes sense considering how active she is, but is also a little surprising given her elite status. Can you imagine Kate sporting the same look? We certainly can't! Pippa has been a style icon ever since Kate's wedding.

In reality, Pippa actually wears a lot of clothing primarily designed for comfort.

However, Pippa also has to attend a number of high-profile events. For these, she often sports designer duds, fascinators, and gowns fit for a member of the British aristocracy. Interestingly, a lot of magazines have noted a change in Pippa's fashion choices, which have led her to dress more like Kate. PopSugar Fashion even claimed that "[Kate and Pippa have] rocked nearly identical looks on more than one occasion." Whether this is simply part of Pippa getting older or part of the pressure of conforming to an elitist appearance remains in question. But every little sister knows how fun it is to borrow clothes from her older siblings, so perhaps that's the reason for Pippa's style evolution!

15 She's Charitable

Like her sister Kate, Pippa has made efforts to contribute to causes she believes in. One of the causes she holds dear is the British Heart Foundation. In 2016 Pippa wrote another book: a healthy recipe cookbook called Heartfelt. The Daily Mail reports that Pippa has the official title of "charity ambassador" for the British Heart Foundation. In connection with the partnership, she once paid a visit to young heart patients at Bristol Royal Children's Hospital. According to Nicki Swift, the money earned was designated to go to the British Heart Foundation.

Pippa often attends charity events, and a number of the marathons she participates in are dedicated to charitable causes. In 2017, The Telegraph reported that Pippa led the campaign for Disability Snow UK, which helps raise awareness for the 2018 Paralympics in South Korea. The partnership involved recruiting people that enjoyed skiing to help raise money for the Paralympics. Another one of Pippa's goals during the partnership was to encourage those who are disabled to try out snow sports. Sounds incredibly specific, right? We agree, but considering Pippa's passion for sports and overcoming physical challenges, this partnership makes sense. Overall, Pippa's charitable causes include a strong emphasis on health and physical activity. Definitely on point!

14 Her Parents Used To Be Flight Attendants

Pippa's parents actually used to be flight attendants! This may seem surprising considering that it's not exactly a typical job for members of the British elite, but it was how Pippa's parents started! But don't be fooled by the seemingly normal position -Useless Daily reports that the Middleton patriarch had ties to the British aristocracy and that he actually inherited a large trust fund from his grandmother, Olive Middleton. Pippa's grandfather apparently studied at Oxford, and her mother has a great head for business.

Though being a flight attendant is typically not associated with lavish amounts of wealth, the Middleton family were lucky enough to inherit a lot of valuable things.

After becoming flight attendants, Pippa's father became a Britsh Airways flight dispatcher. Eventually, Pippa's parents started their own party-planning business. Party-planning seems to be a big jump from working as flight attendants, but the Middleton family obviously dabbles in a lot of fields! It's inspiring to think about how Pippa's parents started and where they are now. Don't get us wrong, it's definitely not a rags-to-riches story - but it's still nice to know that the people who raised Kate, an English princess, were mere flight attendants at one point.

13 She Was A Party Planner For A While

Though Pippa has had a number of opportunities that most people never get, she's also known to be a very hard worker. Her intelligence and independence are obvious in many ways, including the number of successful career paths she's explored. Pippa had a career in public relations before being thrust into the limelight, according to Nicki Swift. She also worked in the family business for a while. She helped create a blog for Party Pieces, which combined her expertise in PR with her talent for writing.

We would definitely call Pippa a writer, she's written for well-known entities like Vanity Fair and The Telegraph. It's impressive that Pippa has been able to try out so many different positions and that she's found success in all of them! In reality, most people do have to try out a number of different jobs before finding their niche, but Pippa seems to have adjusted very well. She is evidently quite persistent in trying out new things; she also tried her hand at being a correspondent for NBC in 2014. This position didn't quite work out, unfortunately (though you can find some old clips of her brief stint on NBC throughout the dark recesses of the interweb). No one is ever going to be successful at everything they do, but we definitely admire Pippa's efforts and creativity.

12 She's Always Been Wealthy

By this point, you've gotten quite a few hints suggesting how well-off the Middleton family was, even before they became tied to the Royal Family. Pippa's parents may have started out as flight attendants, but they had a great financial and professional basis provided by their generous inheritances. It also helps that Pippa's parents were good at business. According to Useless Daily, the party-planning business initially started in 1987. Pippa's parents sold party bags as well as party supplies and decorations. The business quickly became a success, further amping up the Middletons' net worth. The Middleton's party planning business was expanded as far back as 1995, yet it's only continued to grow since then.

In fact, the Middletons are believed to be millionaires!

By 2012, they owned Bucklebury Manor - a sprawling 18-acre property where Prince George spent his first few weeks. At this point, you can see that Pippa's family has done quite well for themselves. The Royal wedding certainly upped their status and presumably offered great publicity and elevation for their party planning business, so we can't argue that the connection didn't help. Hopefully, though, you have a clearer picture of what life was life for Pippa and Kate before the Royal wedding.

11 Some Say She Upstaged Her Sister At The Royal Wedding

When your sister is marrying a prince from the British Royal Family, most people would expect that you'd forever be living in her shadow. However, Pippa showed just how wrong this assumption was at her sister Kate's wedding. Though Kate and William were obviously the centers of attention, there was endless coverage of Pippa and the white dress she wore. People magazine even called Pippa, "the world's most famous bridesmaid."

Pippa violated a popular notion that you can't wear white to weddings, or else risk upstaging the bride. Maybe she figured there was no way she possibly could, considering the circumstances of her sister's marriage, or maybe she and Kate are just close enough to see how absurd that rule really is. Either way, Pippa seemed to get a lot more attention than she bargained for. The news was not only obsessed with the fact that she wore white, but also with her athletic figure and backside - on full display as she held her sister's long wedding train. In truth, she looked like she could have been the bride herself! According to The Mirror, Pippa once confessed to feeling that the dress "fit a little too well." Then again, is looking fit and fabulous ever a bad thing? No reason Pippa and her sister Kate can't share the limelight!

10 … But She Planned An Epic Reception For Her

It certainly makes sense that Pippa would plan Kate's reception. With both of their parents being party planners, and Pippa having helped out with the family business for a number of years, who better to ask?

We imagine there was no shortage of people willing to plan Kate's party, and in sticking true to her role as the "fun" sister, Pippa planned an informal party that some say the Royals were not too happy with.

According to The Evening Standard, "it was [Pippa's ] idea to have trucks serving bacon butties and ice cream in the palace quadrangle." Well, she's certainly bold! While we can imagine that some guests found it refreshing to have such a relatively informal setup for a Royal wedding, we'd imagine that the Queen was absolutely scandalized! Food trucks are a pretty bold move for any British wedding, but especially for a member of the Royal Family. Nevertheless, considering the innumerable changes that Kate had to go through in order to accommodate her husband's family, she probably appreciated getting a chance to let her hair down a little. The Standard's reveal is also a good assurance for anyone thinking of hiringPippa as a party planner! Just because she's a member of Britain's elite doesn't mean that she can't throw a good party by our standards.

9 Kate Isn't Her Only Sibling

The age-old story of the forgotten brother, something that Rob Kardashian knows all too well. Another person subject to this is Kate and Pippa's little brother, James Middleton. Though we imagine it's frustrating to often be forgotten, it's probably also a relief for James to not have to face the scrutiny that his sisters do. According to The Sun, 31-year-old James is a businessman and the owner of a novelty marshmallow company called Boomf. It sounds oddly specific to us, but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt and presume there's a story behind this!

James also owns a Cake Kit company that delivers baking kits for special occasions, so maybe he just has a passion for sweets? In addition to these ventures, James has three other companies registered, so it seems the 'dabbling' through various business pursuits is a Middleton trait. James is believed to be in an on-again-off-again relationship with a TV presenter named Donna Air, but you never know - he certainly seems to be an eligible bachelor, and maybe he can even bake!

8 She's A Published Author

Many people don't know that Pippa is actually a published author! Her first book combined her passion for writing with her expertise in party-planning, thus resulting in Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends. 

According to Nicki Swift, Pippa was paid a $600,000 advance in order to write the 400-page book, but it was apparently a flop and only sold 18,000 copies.

Although 18,000 copies is technically a lot, it certainly isn't for someone of her caliber. We're sure the publishers expected more, especially considering the size of the advance they gave her. Unfortunately, the book was widely ridiculed, which may have contributed to its demise. A lot of critics reported that the advice in the book is really obvious stuff like "a really late start warrants brunch in lieu of lunch" and "you can cut your chicken into portions consisting of the drumstick, thigh, breast, and wing." You can probably see what the critics were saying about the advice being really obvious, most of us wouldn't be happy if we bought a book about stuff we already knew. We imagine Pippa didn't necessarily understand her audience and was marketing towards people that really knew nothing about party-planning. Unfortunately, the information she provided seems to be stuff anyone could easily find on the internet - for free.

7 Her Husband Is An Ex-Race Car Driver

In May of last year, Pippa married James Matthews at a lavish wedding hosted by St. Matthews Church in Englefield, England. According to E News, the two started dating in 2012 before breaking up and getting back together in 2015. This time it really stuck! They became engaged in May 2016 and married the following year. People were definitely curious about Pippa's fiancé, a hedge fund broker.

Though his job may sound a bit tedious (sorry James) he certainly has a more exciting past. One of the things James and Pippa have in common is that they both love sports. Not only have they been spotted at Wimbledon together, they also participated in a 47-mile swim-run in Sweden in 2017, according to People. James even used to be a professional racecar driver! Vogue reports that James participated in a number of races - including the British Formula Renault Championship - before giving up his career for finance. We suppose it isn't possible to be a racecar driver forever, although the move to finance must have been quite an adjustment! James comes from a well-to-do family with a fancy, famous hotel in their name. He has expanded their portfolio by starting an investment advisory firm called Eden Rock Capital Management. So all in all, it looks like the move to finance wasn't such a bad idea!

6 They Got Married In A Glass Palace

Pippa may not technically be Royal, but her wedding was certainly elite and high-profile. In a way, she had the best of both worlds: an extravagant budget and elite guest list, without the expectation of having to follow tradition. This winning combination is exactly what allowed her to get married in a glass palace! What better way to get out from under her sister's shadow?

According to E News, Pippa and James got married in a glass palace that took three days to construct! It housed about 300 guests and cost around $130,000. Obviously, that is an absurd amount of money. Plus, the palace was just a small part of the wedding. Since Pippa and James' bridal party arrived in vintage cars, E approximates that the couple spent around $26,000 on transportation. They also spent another $20,000 on flowers.

One estimate puts the total cost of the wedding at around $340,000.

In all honesty, we're not too bummed about the cost of the glass palace. It would have allowed for such a unique experience for both James and Pippa as well as for their guests. What seems crazier to us is the $20,000 they spent on flowers. Did anyone even take them home after the wedding? Even if they did, they couldn't have lasted more than a few days. Now that sounds like a waste.

5 She Has A Royal Named After Her

That age-old expression about bridesmaids never being brides also applies to people that are close to the Crown. As closely as Pippa may be associated with the Royal Family, she still isn't a Royal herself (though she may not want to be). However, there is someone with her namesake that certainly is a Royal: Princess Charlotte. According to CNN, Princess Charlotte's full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, which is quite a long first and middle name!

As it turns out, Pippa is actually a nickname for Philippa Charlotte Middleton. We imagine Pippa was honored by her sister's gesture, both because of her niece's status and the closeness it shows. Princess Charlotte's middle name also serves a nod to other important family members; her father's famous grandmother and great-grandmother.  Charlotte's third name is an obvious nod to her beloved grandmother, Princess Diana. While the names that Kate and William picked for their children are quite traditional, they demonstrate an ode to honoring the important women in Charlotte's life. We don't know about Pippa, but we'd certainly be honored to have our name so close to that of the great Princess Diana!

4 She's Been On Time's 100 Most Influential List

If it's true that one hasn't "made it" until they've ended up on one of Time's exclusive lists, then you certainly can't say that Pippa Middleton hasn't made it. Hello Magazine reports that the brunette received the honor of being featured on Time's "100 Most Influential List" in 2012. In case you're wondering, Pippa's Royal sister also made it onto the list, as did then-President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Angela Merkel. In addition to the political figures, there were also traditional celebrities, such as the Middleton sisters. Among other famous celebrities featured were Adele and Tilda Swinton.

In the feature, Kate and Pippa were described as "aviators of aspiration."

One of the editors for the magazine remarked, "The Middleton sisters are jointly on the list and the thinking behind that is that they have gone from obscurity to being among the most pictured women in the world. They say almost nothing so what we are talking about is a particular kind of influence." It is a shame that they don't get to speak out more. Still, Kate and Pippa are still influential in terms of style, narrative, and most importantly, in terms of charitable causes.

3 She's Been A Victim Of Hackers

Most of us in the modern world know that technology is a double-edged sword. We're very lucky to have access to the amount of information the internet allows us, and the convenience that technology often presents. However, one of the dark sides of technology is how it has allowed strangers to violate our privacy - a lesson that Pippa has come to know all too well. In 2016,  Nicki Swift reported that Pippa had her iCloud account hacked around the same time such invasions of privacy were being experienced by other celebs, including Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton. Pippa had over 3,000 photos stolen from her account, including many of her sister Kate and her niece, Princess Charlotte, and nephew, Prince George.

Fortunately for her, these photos were not released and the hacker was arrested. Pippa apparently even went to court to prevent the photos from getting illegitimately circulated, which turned out to be a success. It was certainly an unfortunate situation, and completely unfair for her privacy to be violated the way it was. Still, would it be wrong to admit our curiosity about the photos of her sister and niece and nephew? It seems Pippa went to great lengths to keep the photos private by going to court and we can't help wondering if it was simply on principle, or because she had some embarrassing photos of the Royal Family behaving like normal people. Guess we'll never know!

2 She's Expecting…

At the end of April, it was reported that Pippa and her husband were expecting their first child. As you probably know, Kate and Will just recently had their third. The good news is that Pippa will probably have lots of hand me downs for both herself and the baby (not that she needs them)! Pippa and James have been married for a little less than a year, so the news that they're expecting seems quite fast! According to People, Pippa is thirty-four and James is forty-one, so it makes sense that they would want to start having children now, especially if they want more than one kid.

The baby is apparently due in the fall, so it sounds like Pippa is already a few months pregnant.

However, Pippa seems to be living life as usual since the announcement. She's been spotted visiting her new nephew, and she's even been seen furniture shopping in the Chelsea area of London. There's a good chance she was looking for furniture for the new member of her family because she and James have reportedly started working on their nursery. So far, Pippa is not really showing. Being the athlete she is, we're sure she'll remain active up until the end. So while the media is freaking out about the news of her pregnancy, she's just enjoying life. Good for you, Pippa!

1  She Has A Wicked Sense Of Humor

The Royals are admired for their fashion sense, lavish lifestyle, and endless family secrets. One thing they are not known for: humor. It's no secret that they're stereotyped as being a bit uptight, but Pippa certainly exists outside of that. In fact, she's gotten in trouble a few times for being a bit looser than idealized by her connection to the Royal Family!

Hello Magazine reported that Pippa once gave a shoutout to a spoof Twitter account set up in her name, called @pippatips. It's always a good sign when people are able to poke fun at themselves! Pippa once again showcased that she was comfortable making fun of herself after the whole incident with the bridesmaid dress at Kate's wedding. Knowing that all of the press articles were particularly focused on her figure, Nicki Swift reveals that she said in a speech, "As I have found out, recognition has it's upside, it's downside and - you may say - its backside." Pippa is clearly referring to her figure-hugging dress. Though some media outlets have portrayed her as a partygoer, it's clear that she's simply a responsible adult who knows how to enjoy life!

References: E News, People, Vogue, People, Hello Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Refinery29, The Sun, E News , Popsugar, Daily Mail, The Telegraph, CNN, Hello Magazine, CNN, Useless Daily, The Evening Standard