AS PRINCESS Kate received her standing ovation at Wimbledon on Sunday, by her side was her dedicated sister.
Pippa Middleton, 40, is said to have been a pillar of strength for Kate, 42, with her health battle, and doesn’t live far from the Wales family’s Windsor cottage.
While Pippa may not be married to royalty – and wed hedge fund manager James Matthews in 2017 – her £15million Berkshire mansion is said to be “far more impressive” than Princess Kate’s modest but homely four-bed home.
Pippa and James – along with their three children; Arthur, five, Grace, three, and Rose, two – live in a 32-room Georgian mansion set in 150 acres which they purchased in 2021 in an off-market sale.
In 2022, the Daily Mail reported: “I can disclose that the Princess of Wales’s sister plans to dig up the massive walled garden where the previous owner lovingly cultivated fruit and vegetables.
“In its place, Pippa and investment banker Matthews want to install a huge outdoor swimming pool. At 82 ft x 19 ft, it would be more than twice the size of a typical private pool and the same size as those at her two local leisure centres in the Royal County of Berkshire.
“Next to their pool, the lawn will be dug up and replaced with a tennis court.”
The kitchen garden’s potting shed is said to be converted into changing rooms.
The renovation work reportedly needed planning permission because the walled garden and main house are Grade II-listed and lie in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and near ancient woodland.
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales live with Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, in Windsor.
Their home has just four bedrooms – one bedroom for each of the children and the royal couple.
The family’s cottage is nestled in the heart of the 655-acre Windsor estate so there is plenty of room for the kids to run around and walk the family’s dog, Orla.
Sources said the couple dreamt of having a “modest” home with a garden so the children could play outside together – and they seem to have achieved that goal.
It’s understood the family have no live-in staff, with any aides commuting to Windsor instead.
Pippa’s property is just a 20-minute drive from Carole and Michael Middleton, who live in the lavish Bucklebury Manor, which is said to be worth £5million.
At the time, a friend of Pippa’s told the Daily Mail she and her family are “thrilled”.
They said: “It’s a very exciting time in their lives. They are looking forward to living closer to her parents.”
The whole Middleton family are now neighbours, with Kate and Prince William on the Windsor Estate, and James Middleton and his wife Alizee living on a £1.25million farm in Berkshire.
Pippa and James are used to living in such lavish properties having sold their previous house in West London for £22.5million – £5.5million more than James initially bought it for in 2014.
The couple spent £17million on their London home which spans five floors.
Despite keeping their private life closely guarded, we know the mansion had six bedrooms, a home gym, an underground cinema, lift and room for staff.
After buying it, they renovated it to add separate female and male dressing rooms off the master bedroom as well as a nursery and air conditioning throughout.
KATE Middleton is extremely close to her family, including mum Carole and sister Pippa.
And when Prince William’s wife becomes Queen one day, her beloved family members could be in line for some special honours.
Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous that Pippa Middleton could be given a similar role to Queen Camilla’s younger sister, Annabel Elliott, who is one of her six “companions”.
He said: “I certainly think there could be a role for Pippa as a lady-in-waiting or companion type role.
“This needs to be someone the then Queen can trust and rely on, and who better than her sister?
“Pippa has some commercial interests but I’m sure by the time Kate becomes Queen she would be happy to fulfil that role if required.
“It’s not necessarily a full time job so she would be available.
“We all know what a sensation she was at their wedding in 2011 and since then she has kept a relatively low profile and of course is happily married.”
Another person he thought could be in line for a “companion” position is Kate’s stylist and close friend Natasha Archer, as she is “someone else she trusts and would be ideal for a supportive post.”
According to royal expert Angela Levin, although Kate has been away from the public eye, there is one person who she is likely to be speaking to daily.
She told Fabulous: “I imagine Catherine will want to talk to her sister Pippa every day and hear about how each of their family is getting on.
“Catherine trusts her totally so she can talk freely about her concerns.
“As she can with her mother, Carole Middleton.”
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