Pippa, the sister of Kate Middleton, is known as the more glamorous and glitzy member of the Middleton family. She stole the show at Kate’s royal wedding in 2011 while fulfilling the role of maid of honour. In the months and years following, Pippa became a much sought after TV guest, columnist and party planner.
She picked up regular writing spots in the political magazine Spectator, and Vanity Fair.
It was here that Pippa divulged to readers quirky nuances of her childhood and snapshots of life with a sister who is the future queen consort.
In one piece from 2013, she shared memories of her time in school, specifically her love of sport.
One particular highlight was, she said, the gruelling task of cross country.
During one cross country event, Pippa recalls feeling “proud” of herself for her efforts in reaching second place.
Her feelings were soon squashed, however, when her mother issued her a harsh rebuke for not being first.
She wrote: “On the subject of mothers, I must touch on cross-country — one of the most gruelling compulsory school activities, along with public speaking.
“Unlike many of my friends who ‘suddenly got the flu’, we Middleton girls were always at the starting line — albeit reluctantly — fuelled by Lucozade tablets and bananas. Rain was inevitable and we’d get caked in mud from head to toe, in our tiny athletic shorts, white Aertex and all.
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In 2014, she and her brother James Middleton completed a cycle race across the US.
Pippa was the only woman in a team of eight, covering 3,000 miles in six days, ten hours and 54 minutes.
The journey was tough – something which she has been forced to become accustomed to since she became a well-known face around the world.
In 2016, during an interview with the Daily Mail, Pippa told of how she had been forced to grow a “thick skin”.
It largely came down to her becoming the target of social media abuse and gossip; this resulting in her confidence shattering.
She explained: “I have had a few years of being in the public eye and I have developed something of a thick skin.
“But managing it all on my own has been quite hard.
“I have quite a lot thrown at me, such as being followed by people hiding behind cars and jumping out with cameras.
“It can be unnerving.”
