Pippa puzzled: I’m not a party girl or socialite
Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, has finally spoken about her “bad girl” image.
“People see me as someone privileged who has used my position to advantage. That I don’t really work, that I am a socialite—that word really irritates me—and that I’m a party girl without any substance,” Pippa, 33, told the Daily Mail, her first major interview with a newspaper.
This is furthest from the truth, she said.
Pippa earned an English Literature degree in Edinburgh University. She used her knowledge to pen the party planning book Celebrate, which was widely panned by critics over four years ago. But now she’s back with a new book called Heartfelt.
The book is about food and fitness. It features numerous healthy recipes by athletes, including herself. Pippa competes in marathons. The book is also in collaboration with the British Heart Foundation.
Pippa was thrust into the spotlight when she upstaged her older sister during the April 2011 royal wedding because of her figure-hugging bridesmaid’s dress that showed off her bum. There’s actually a Facebook page dedicated to her bottom.
“I was surprised and still don’t understand it,” Pippa said of the attention her backside received.
Since then, Pippa has become a favorite target of the paparazzi.
“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,” said Pippa. While she could handle it after years of being in the public eye, being followed by camera lenses is something new to her fiance, James Matthews, a millionaire financier.
“I think James and I have the same spirit. We are both competitive. We have had many adventures together. We have a lot in common and that helps. I don’t think it would work with a couch potato,” Pippa said about her 41-year-old boyfriend.