Pippa Middleton and the (legitimate) choice not to announce the pregnancy

Smarter than ever, Pippa Middleton was one of the many surprises that came on the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth: during the Jubilee Pageantthe parade that closed the four-day celebration, Kate’s younger sister showed an unequivocal baby bump under the green dress chosen for the event.

Unlike the other two pregnancies, always announced around three to four months, this time Pippa and her husband James Matthews they preferred to keep the news confidential, with a bit of surprise on the part of British observers, who usually know everything about what is happening around the royal family. A silence that, on closer inspection, has nothing so unusual. The Matthews are two private citizens, with important family ties, sure, but they owe nothing to anyone, let alone tell about their family.

In the past they saw each other more often, and gladly attended the most important royal events, but parenting seems to have changed them. Pippa and James had Arthur Michael William in 2018 and Grace Elizabeth Jane in 2021, but no one has ever seen the children, except for a few shots stolen and ended up in the tabloids. A completely different direction from that of Kate, who is forced to publish photos of her children from time to time to avoid being persecuted by the press. Their last public release before the Jubilee dates back to last December. The lockdown of the last two years has certainly given a hand to the low profile life of the Matthews, but there could also be more.

On closer inspection, Pippa, after all, was saved, and she did it in the only possible way: shirking. When Kate entered the orbit of the royal family, and especially afterwards, with the royal wedding, she became the “Sister of”, perpetually confronted with the eldest in every aspect of her life, from the look (including marriage) to the love choices; there was even someone who considered it less fortunate because he hadn’t found a prince on his way. What if Pippa never had an interest in finding him? Or, more simply, to be like her sister?

Losing one’s identity is not a good thing, as James, the youngest of the Middletons, has also often pointed out, always willing to talk about depression, which he suffered, and the love for his dogs, but he has closed with those who try to use it to get to the Duchess of Cambridge. Pippa, on the other hand, preferred to slip away. And from that moment she is back to being just herself, with the life she likes best, between the elegant house in Chelsea, where she lives with her family, and the holidays in Berkshire, where she finds herself with parents and siblings. There Kate is just Catherine, with no titles. And, together, they are the same as always, without comparisons or competitions to win.

Other stories of Vanity Fair that may interest you

• The Dukes of Cambridge thank their subjects: “We had a great time, especially Louis”
• Louis of Cambridge show: Jubilee Pageant takes the stage (again)
• Pippa Middleton’s (more than suspicious) pregnancy