Pippa’s perfect (almost royal!) big day
STUNNING PICTURES AND REPORTS
THE old red and black tiles in the porch of St Mark’s Church, Englefield, have felt the tread of many a spring bride over the centuries.
Few can have looked quite as poised and polished as Pippa Middleton yesterday. And with Prince George and Princess Charlotte as page boy and flower girl, and the Duchess of Cambridge fussing over her sister’s dress, none can have been more royally celebrated.
The woman who, as a child, dreamed of marrying in her tennis whites, chose instead a high neck, cap-sleeved Giles Deacon gown with a heart-shaped cut-out at the back. It was a sweet wedding day message to her groom, city financier James Matthews, shared by the 150-strong congregation who watched them marry in the 12th Century West Berkshire church.
Pippa’s dark hair was piled high under a bespoke tulle veil scattered with tiny pearls, by milliner Stephen Jones, and clasped by a tiara in the shape of a maidenhair fern from jewellers Robinson Pelham. On her feet were ivory satin Manolo Blahnik pumps with pearl details. In her hands she carried a dainty bouquet of white peonies, which symbolise happy marriage.
The 33-year-old may have come to global fame after playing the biggest cameo role in the history of Royal weddings, as bridesmaid to big sister Kate in back in 2011, but yesterday was all about her own fairytale ending – a wedding in which the Royals were, for once, playing a supporting role.
Kate, in a peachy, bell-sleeved wool crepe dress by Alexander McQueen, had traded palace duties for maternal ones. Breaking into a wide, unguarded smile, she scooped up George, three, and Charlotte, two, for their walk down the aisle behind Pippa, and marshalled the other little ones into position.
The bride arrived with her father Michael in a topless gunmetal grey 1951 Jaguar Mark V a minute or two after the official 11.30am start time. In a gesture both intimate and timeless, Mr Middleton folded
arm into his own as they passed through the lychgate for the 20-yard walk to the church.
As father and daughter crossed the threshold heading for the altar where James, 41, was waiting, the church’s wooden doors clanged shut behind them. Inside, The Mail on Sunday has been told, George behaved impecca- bly while Charlotte burst into tears and had to be carried to her nanny for comforting.
The couple’s hymns, swelled by the choir of Winchester Cathedral, were Be Thou My Vision; Tell Out, My Soul; Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken, and royal favourite I Vow To Thee, My Country.
For their readings they chose the Song of Solomon, read by a family friend, and Love Is An Adventure by Pierre Tielhard du Chardin, read by Pippa’s brother James. The groom’s brother Spencer Matthews, the lothario star of real- ity TV show Made In Chelsea, read a passage from the Paulo Coelho novel, The Alchemist.
The service, during which Pippa did not promise to ‘obey’ James, was officiated by parish priest Nick Wynne-Jones. The Duchess of Cambridge read a prayer.
In the congregation were James’s parents David and Jane, the fabulously wealthy owners of the Eden Rock Hotel on the Caribbean island of St Barts, and the proud mother of the bride Carole Middleton. She wore a Catherine Walker dress and widebrimmed hat of the palest pink, chosen to pick out the white and blush flowers which decorated St Mark’s.
Prince William accompanied the Duchess of Cambridge but Prince Harry was alone in church, despite rumours his girlfriend, the American actress Meghan Markle, had been permitted to defy Pippa’s no ring-no bring edict, restricting plusones to married partners only.
She was, however, on her Prince’s arm for the evening party. A source said: ‘Meghan was invited to the service, but she and Harry didn’t want to overshadow Pippa’s big day.’
Almost an hour after entering, the newlymade Mr and Mrs Matthews threw open the church doors and emerged behind their eight bridesmaids and page boys, all in cream and pale gold outfits commissioned from Kate’s go-to children’s outfitter Pepa and Co.
As rose petal confetti was tossed into the air, they turned and gave each other the kind of real ‘We Mean It’ kiss which says this may be a grown-up match, but it’s about romance as well as reason.
Outside church, Prince George became tearful after his mum apparently gave him a ticking off for stepping on the train of the bride’s wedding dress. But his sulk was shortlived after Kate calmed him down with a firm finger on the lips.
The party then made their way on foot to Englefield House, three minutes away. They streamed through an avenue of lime trees, horse chestnuts and oaks, a reminder of the oak leaves and acorns on the Middletons’ family crest.
Amid the Elizabethan loveliness of Englefield House, famous guests including Princess Eugenie, tennis ace Roger Federer and presenter Donna Air, the partner of Pippa’s brother James, gathered for champagne, canapes and speeches.
To the sound of a jazz band, they enjoyed 20 types of nibbles includher
ing mini portions of haggis, a nod to Pippa and James’s love of Scotland, steak and chips and king prawns.
Speeches were given by the groom and the father of the bride, who joked that he had lost both of his daughters – but to great men. He also spoke of his pride in Pippa. In a break from tradition, the best man’s speech was a double act by James Middleton and Spencer Matthews. Toasts were raised with Ruinart champagne and the newlyweds cut their cake, a simple three-tier fruit cake by royal baker Fiona Cairns.
Afterwards, James took to the wheel of a vintage convertible EType Jaguar in British racing green to drive his new wife back to the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, five miles away, as local people roared their best wishes.
The evening party, which kicked off with a flypast by a single Spitfire, was held in a vast £100,000 glass marquee built on stilts in the family’s back garden. Inside, cherry trees laden with pink blossom could be seen among the professional sound and lighting rigs. But with a bride who is a professional event planner, a cracker of a do was only to be expected. An extra 150 joined the party for dinner, lubricated by a luxury whisky bar and followed by a saxophonist, DJ and disco.
Guests had to hand over their phones, but there were photo booths for private snaps, while a table tennis table was set up for a Middleton vs Matthews tournament – with Roger Federer gamely joining in.
It had been a day for casting aside royal protocols – definitely more Bucklebury than Buckingham Palace even if the second, third, fourth and fifth line to the throne were on the guest list. Pippa hasn’t married into the House of Windsor but she’s certainly moved in next door, her wedding to a multi-millionaire and the prospect of baby cousins for George and Charlotte sealing her place by Kate’s side.
As night fell, it echoed to the sound of new money and high society having a marvellous time. Only two questions remained: did Pippa throw her bouquet in the direction of Meghan Markle as she left the night’s festivities? And more importantly, did she catch it?