Don’t dare call me a socialite, says Pippa

PIPPA Middleton has denied being ‘a party girl of no substance’ and has insisted she tries to lead a normal life.

The 33-year-old hopes that her new charity cookery book, Heartfelt, produced to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, will help to change negative perceptions of her.

In her first major newspaper interview, the Duchess of Cambridge’s younger sister revealed that she has developed ‘a thick skin’ due to the pressures of being in the public eye.

Miss Middleton told the Daily Mail: ‘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.’

But she said she tries not to be ‘too sensitive’ as being in the spotlight has become the ‘new normal’ for her and her family, including parents Carole and Michael.

Her book Heartfelt includes 100 healthy recipes, some of which she has tried on her parents, sister Kate and brother James. Some of the recipes are from sporting greats, including Roger Federer.

Miss Middleton, who won a sports scholarship to Marlborough College and studied English literature at Edinburgh University, spoke of her desire to add a nutrition qualification to her CV after her wedding to wealthy financier James Matthews next year.

She said: ‘I work very hard. I’m true to my values. I just try to live a normal life like many of my friends.’