»MAY 2017 47
The Australian Women’s Weeklyhas learned
that in order not to upstage the bride, Kate will
be taking “a deliberate back seat” on the wedding
day, leaving the spotlight to her younger sister,
Pippa. And contrary to reports, Meghan Markle,
Prince Harry’s new girlfriend, is unlikely to attend.
“Kate has been very involved behind the scenes
right from the start, but when it comes to Pippa’s
wedding day, she won’t be matron of honour,” says
the source. “She is likely to do a reading along
with their brother, James. Kate wants this day to
be all about Pippa and her groom, and if anyone
risks upstaging the bride it’s going to be George
and Charlotte for their cuteness.”
Pippa, who is close to her niece
and nephew, asked William and
Kate if they would allow George
and Charlotte to be a pageboy
and bridesmaid shortly after her
engagement last year.
We can also reveal that Pippa has
asked her old school friend, Alice
Avenel, if her daughter, Rose,
would be a flower girl.
Sources close to the bride-to-be,
who used to work for Table Talk,
one of the UK’s most prestigious
e events companies, say she has planned
oroughly traditional wedding” and has
loyed the help of her former employers
nsure the day runs smoothly.
wn for its discretion, Table Talk has
d to say whether it is involved, but one
revealed, “Knowing Pippa, it will be
tessentially English, classy and beautiful.
will inevitably have asked Table Talk to
out because they are brilliant at staging
events such as this.”
Sources say Pippa and James, 41, have
unned at least two lucrative media
fers to photograph their wedding. Her
okesperson has also said that there are
no plans” to release an official picture of
the couple on their wedding day, insistingABOVE, FROM LEFT: Guests include tennis star Roger Federer and wife Mirka; James Middleton and girlfriend Donna Air; Princesses
Eugenie (left) and Beatrice; TV adventurer Ben Fogle and wife Marina; the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry.I
t can’t be easy following in the footsteps
of her famous older sister, the Duchess of
Cambridge, especially on her wedding day.
Yet when Philippa Charlotte Middleton
marries former racing driver turned hedge
fund millionaire James Matthews on May 20, all
eyes will be on the blushing bride.
With the help of her mother, professional party
planner Carole Middleton, Pippa has organised
a wedding fit for royalty and one that will be
remembered as one of the most lavish society
weddings of the year.
The 33-year-old Pippa, who has written
a book on entertaining, has hired
the most exclusive – and expensive- baker in the posh London suburb
of Belgravia to make her wedding
cake at a cost of around $8000,
while the Middletons are believed
to be splashing out more than
$650,000 on the reception alone.
“No expense is being spared,”
says a source close to the family.
“The Middletons are treating the
wedding like a serious production
and it will be the best of everything.
Months of meticulous planning
have gone into the day. It’s going
to be quite something.”
Save-the-date cards went out with the
couple’s Christmas cards, while the highly
sought after invites – printed by upmarket
publisher Mount Street in Mayfair, accor
to one newspaper report – were posted t
350 select guests nearly two months ago
Among those sitting on the oak-wood
at St Mark’s Church in Englefield, a sma
village in the county of Berkshire in Engl
prosperous south, 11km away from the
Middleton family home, will be two futu
Kings – Pippa’s brother-in-law, Prince W
and her nephew, Prince George, who wil
a pageboy. Prince Harry has also been in
along with Princesses Beatrice and Eugen
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“nBELOW: St Mark’s
Church in
Berkshire will
be swept by
security before
the ceremony,
in which Prince
George and
Princess Charlotte
will have big roles.[ Society wedding ]