Pippa’s in love! She rekindles romance with City millionaire
PIPPA Middleton has found love again with the handsome – and terribly rich – brother of a reality television star.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s sister, 32, ended her three- year relationship with hedge fund manager Nico Jackson in October.
Now she is dating James Matthews, whose younger brother, Spencer, is the star of Made In Chelsea, the popular show which follows a wealthy circle of people who live in the exclusive London postcode.
A well-placed source said the relationship was tentative at first on Miss Middleton’s part but is becoming serious, and the pair – who briefly dated in 2012 – have now been seeing each other for two months.
They have just spent eight days together on the exclusive Caribbean island of St Barths.
‘James is really into Pippa and she is falling into step. There is affection between them,’ a source said.
Mr Matthews, 40, is an Old Etonian and chief executive of Eden Rock Capital Management, which he founded in 2001.
His parents, David and Jane, own and manage the Eden Rock hotel on St Barths, famous in the Fifties and Sixties as a favoured hideaway for reclusive movie stars and moguls such as Greta Garbo and Howard Hughes.
Today the hotel is a resort affordable only to the super-rich.
But rather than stay at the hotel during her recent break there, Miss Middleton holidayed in a luxury villa in the hills overlooking Gustavia, the island’s capital.
She went with her brother James – who may have been a ‘decoy’ to deflect attention from her new beau.
Mr Matthews also stayed with them, despite his parents’ hotel being a short hop away. The couple are said to have spent an idyllic week together at the villa, playing tennis and enjoying dinner at the best restaurants on the island.
‘James is behaving like a peacock, he is showing her his feathers and wants her to be impressed,’ says a source who knows the couple. Miss Middleton and her brother arrived on the island on December 30 after flying out from Gatwick. The following evening, New Year’s Eve, they went to the Eden Rock hotel for dinner and watched a fireworks display at the resort. The group were spoilt for choice when it came to parties that night, with one hosted by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who is a regular on the island, and the other by actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
Mr Matthews and Miss Middleton decided to go to DiCaprio’s bash, and went along after the fireworks.
However, it wasn’t for them – the source said: ‘They didn’t enjoy it that much – too many models, by all accounts.’
After a late night, the couple spent New Year’s Day relaxing.
The following day, they went to chic lunch spot Nikki Beach and in the evening had dinner at Bonito restaurant, and enjoyed more of the same before flying back last Thursday.
Now Mr Matthews appears to be thinking of the future – and the possibility that Miss Middleton might move into his luxury £17million house in Chelsea.
The City millionaire has submitted plans for a first-floor extension to the five-storey property, which he bought in 2014.
They show that he wants to build a bathroom above the kitchen, with the blueprints showing a ‘ vanity basin’ – complete with his and hers sinks – as well as two dressing rooms leading off the master bedroom. However, the proposal submitted to Kensington & Chelsea Council has drawn complaints from four neighbours, including a landlord who says the extension would block the view of ‘greenery’ from her property.
It remains to be seen whether Mr Matthews will kick up much of a fuss – as he is said to be a much more grounded and quiet figure than his brash television star brother.
The source added: ‘James is very, very low key. He likes to stay out of the limelight, unlike Spencer. He and Spencer are like chalk and cheese.’
Another brother, Michael, a City trader, tragically died at the age of just 22 while descending Mount Everest.
His body has not been recovered to this day and the Matthews family have fought a long legal battle over the negligence they believe led to his death.
As well as seemingly having a preference for financiers, Miss Middleton may also get on well with Mr Matthews as their families come from similar backgrounds.
James’ father, Yorkshire-born David Matthews, was a car mechanic who went on to make his fortune running a coach business.
Miss Middleton’s parents, Mike and Carole, are a middle-class couple who became rich after setting up their online party goods company, Party Pieces.
‘He is very low key’