As the nation and world remain shocked after the Princess of Wales announced her cancer diagnosis, the mother-of-three herself will stoically continue her treatment and recovery at home.
Addressing royal fans around the world on Friday night, Kate, 42, said the last few months have been “incredibly tough” for the family; However, as she continues to “get stronger” away from the public eye, she can count on a strong inner circle to aid her in her recovery, including her sister Pippa Middleton, with whom she shares an incredibly close relationship. .
Pippa, 40, has been by her sister Kate’s side both in public and private throughout her life, and now lives a stone’s throw from the princess’s home at Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Estate.
She was introduced to the world as Kate’s maid of honor at her wedding to Prince William in 2011 while carrying her sister’s train up the stairs to Westminster Abbey and even sparked romance rumors with her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, due to the laughter they shared. up to date.
But after the royal wedding, Pippa remained a rock for her sister, although she lived a quieter life than the Princess of Wales, especially since she moved to Berkshire with her husband James Matthews and their three children Arthur, Grace and Rose.
Pippa Middleton will no doubt be at Kate’s side during her recovery from cancer treatment, as the couple share a very close relationship (pictured from Pippa’s wedding day in 2017).
In September, just before Pippa’s 40th birthday, it was reported that she and James had swapped their £17 million Chelsea residence for a quieter property in the county of Berkshire, where she and her siblings spent much of their childhood. .
As children, Kate and Pippa, who are less than two years apart, bonded over their shared love of exercise and sport. In particular, the couple were known to enjoy hockey, tennis and athletics while they were both students at Marlborough College.
The sisters’ mother, Carole, previously revealed a glimpse into the girls’ childhood in an interview with the Telegraph.
Speaking in 2018, the owner of now-defunct company Party Pieces revealed that as a working mother, she instilled a strong work ethic in both Pippa and Kate, who were equally focused on their studies at school.
The sisters have been incredibly close since childhood and were often seen in London in their 20s when they shared a flat in Chelsea.
When they weren’t at school, Carole said the sisters ‘modelled a lot’ for Party Pieces, revealing: ‘Catherine was on the cover of one of the catalogues, blowing out candles. Later, she got into styling and set up the first birthday section of the business. Pippa made the blog. She still values her ideas and opinions.’
The sisters remained close as they reached university age and both chose to study in Scotland: Pippa in Edinburgh and Kate at St Andrews (after a brief stint in Edinburgh).
When they finished their studies, the brothers moved to Big Smoke, where they shared an apartment in Chelsea.
Pippa and Kate, both avid tennis fans, have been spotted in the Royal Box at Wimbledon on numerous occasions over the years.
In 2019, Kate and Pippa were sitting in the royal box with Kate’s sister-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex.
In their early twenties, while Kate worked for Jigsaw and Pippa worked in public relations and events, the sisters frequented London’s nightlife and were often photographed together visiting clubs beloved by jet set in the 1990s.
Although Pippa has previously been described as the more “outgoing” of the two sisters, she remained supportive of Kate during the princess’s engagement to Prince William.
Shortly before the wedding, a source told the Daily Mail: “At the moment it’s all Kate, Kate, Kate, because (Pippa is) her closest ally and they are genuinely best friends.” But even if they weren’t, Kate would have a hard time trusting anyone who wasn’t her family.
As they grew up and their older sister Kate married into the royal family, their nights out together turned into trips to sporting events such as Wimbledon, where they have often been seen together in the royal box.
In 2019, the sisters shared a laugh with Kate’s sister-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex, in the Royal Box.
Although Kate’s life has changed significantly since marrying Prince William, Pippa has previously revealed that their sisterly relationship has not been affected by the Princess of Wales’s role as a royal.
Speaking to Today in the US in 2014, Pippa said she and Kate “spend a lot of time together” despite the “pressures” her sister faces in her public role.
Pippa added: “We still do a lot of things together as a family and I think that’s really the heart of it for all of us – having a very close-knit family where we can be normal with each other, treat each other normally.” And that kept us all, you know, glued to the ground.
Middleton’s second sister also revealed that she can call Kate whenever she wants some “girl talk” and that the pair have a “normal, sisterly relationship.”
She said: ‘We are very close. And, you know, we support each other and get each other’s opinions and things.’
After Pippa shot to fame wearing her Alexander McQueen bridesmaid dress at William and Kate’s 2011 royal wedding, which was watched by millions of people around the world and held at Westminster Abbey, Sister Middleton’s minor once again downplayed the event, proving that Kate’s royal status does not faze her or affect their relationship.
She told NBC: “It sounds funny to say, but we saw it as just a family wedding.” And actually, maybe I didn’t realize the magnitude of this until later. We all took on the roles as any family would.’
As Kate has stepped up her role as a royal in recent years, Pippa has continued to support her older sister.
He has attended the Princess’s Carol Concert at Westminster Abbey every year since Kate hosted the event, and even took part in a show of solidarity at the concert two years ago.
In December 2022, when the date of the Christmas event coincided with the same day that Harry and Meghan’s explosive Netflix series landed, Pippa was one of the many women in Kate’s inner circle who joined the princess when they all arrived to Westminster Abbey dressed in the same way. colored suits: a burgundy tone.
The outfits were likely planned before the Netflix series, however, the solidarity image caught attention amid the explosive accusations leveled at Kate and William by the Sussexes.
Now, as Kate announces to the world that she has been diagnosed with cancer, she will no doubt rely on her sister more than ever.
A source told Times: ‘The three siblings are incredibly close… Pippa not only as a sister but as a best friend you can trust. They are extremely loyal to each other.’
The newspaper noted that the couple had shared a trip to the Meribel ski resort with their husbands and children last winter, something that had been kept out of public view.
Royal insiders have told the Daily Mail that the family will “come back stronger” following the shock of both the king and princess being diagnosed with cancer.
And, with her loyal and loving sister by her side, royal fans can rest easy knowing that she has the best support of a strong unit.