Kate, Duchess of Cambridge was most recently pictured in pubic with her sister Pippa Middleton at Wimbledon this year, alongside Meghan Markle. Kate was a a pillar of sisterly support for Pippa at her 2017 wedding, and the closeness of the Middleton family is said to be a crucial factor in Prince William’s choice to make Kate his bride. However, journalist Emma Cowing, writing in The Scotsman in 2008, claimed that the sisters had seen their fair share of sibling rivalry.

She wrote: “While the sisters appear close – they are often pictured holding hands and currently share a flat in Chelsea (although Kate is rumoured to spend most of her time nowadays at Clarence House) – there is, allegedly, some jealousy between the pair.”

A source told Ms Cowing: “Kate was always quite jealous of Pippa.

“I sensed that she feared being eclipsed by her.

“Because Pippa has more natural effervescence, she is socially much more at ease and was always popular with everyone, especially (brother) James’s friends.”

A university friend told the author: “As soon as Pippa arrived at Edinburgh, she was assiduous about joining the right social circle.

“She was very charming about it, but quite ruthless in cultivating the ‘right’ friends.

“If she found out that someone had impressive social credentials – the right title, standing, connections – she would immediately pay them a lot of attention, whereas before she wouldn’t have shown the least interest.”

The Middleton sisters, however, found themselves on the receiving end of some hurtfully snobbish comments from William’s social circle.

Author and broadcaster Vicky Ward wrote in Vanity Fair in 2008: “There are plenty of snobbish insults from people who, despite Middleton’s obvious attributes, believe that the monarchy needs to stop marrying ‘out’ of its class.

“One likened her and her younger sister, Pippa, 25, to the Bouvier sisters, with their obvious desire to ‘marry well.’”

Pippa first came to prominence in 2007, when newly-single Kate was often pictured out on the town with her sister during her brief break-up with Prince William.

At Kate and William’s royal wedding 2011, Maid of Honour Pippa again attracted a great deal of attention.

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Biographer Andrew Morton commented at the time: “Just as William and Harry are very competitive, Catherine and Pippa are very competitive.

“The day was Catherine’s day and Pippa played a significant walk-on part, that was it. 

“I don’t think she stole the show. Pippa had an exotic walk-on part.”

Once widely tipped to wed the son of the Duke of Northumberland, Pippa is now married to James Matthews, a hedge fund manager and heir to the Scottish title of Laird of Glen Affric.

The newly-married pair welcomed their first child Arthur in October 2018,  just months after his cousin Prince Louis’ arrival in April last year.

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