Pippa Middleton: The Younger Sister of the New Duchess of Cambridge


Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of the new Duchess of Cambridge, took her place on the world stage Friday by supporting her sister during her wedding to Prince William. Pippa served as maid of honor for the ceremony, and drew widespread raves for her choice of bridesmaid's dress.

Designed by the same designer that designed Kate's wedding dress, the Alexander McQueen sheath has attracted a lot of Internet buzz in the hours after the official ceremony. A form-fitting A-line, the ivory gown featured a few of the same small details as the bride's wedding dress, including the row of small buttons down the back.

Like her sister, Pippa Middleton wore her hair in a half-up, half-down flowing style as well. As maid of honor, she was responsible for watching over and arranging the train on her sister's wedding dress, among other duties.

Although her sister may now be in line to one day be England's queen, Pippa is not unaccomplished herself. A graduate of Edinburgh University, Pippa, or more formally, Phillipa, is a writer for the online magazine connected with her family's business, Party Pieces, and it is being widely speculated that she is in line to take a much more prominent role in the company.

She also is involved in charity work, specifically with the fundraising group Too Many Women, which gathers funds for breast cancer research. She's been known to attend other charity events and fundraisers as well.

Now that the royal wedding is over, some are postulating that Pippa Middleton might continue to be seen at her older sister's side as her lady-in-waiting. The role often goes to someone in the royal's immediate circle, and indeed, both Princess Diana and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, chose their own sisters for the job.

Either way, whether she chooses to stay with the family business or accompany her sister to the palace, with today's wedding ceremony and the ensuing hubbub surrounding her well-received appearance and poise, Pippa Middleton may well be in for a whole lot more scrutiny. Many media outlets are already referring to her as one of England's most-eligible bachelorettes. (S)


Kate & Pippa Middleton