Happy 7th Anniversary to Pippa and James Matthews!
A look back at the relationship, wedding and drama of Pippa and James
Hello Dear Readers!
Happy Monday. Today is the 7th wedding anniversary of Pippa (nee Middleton) and James Matthews and I thought it’d be fun to take a look back at their relationship, the wedding fashion (the children were hands down my favorite) and this beautiful day seven years ago in Berkshire (as it currently rains with no sign of stopping).
Pippa and James were a couple who, much like her sister and brother-in-law, built their relationship on a strong foundation of friendship, shared love of sport and other common interests. Some royal watchers might argue that since neither Pippa nor Matthews have royal blood running through their veins, this wasn’t a royal wedding at all. But the fanfare (and drama) surrounding their English countryside nuptials says otherwise.
A Relationship Built on Friendship, Travel and Sport
Pippa and Matthews were first linked in the autumn of 2012, when cameras snapped the pair dining out. Shortly after being spotted with Matthews, Pippa began dating investment banker Nico Jackson and the pair remained friends. In June 2014, Pippa and Matthews — along with Pippa’s brother (also named James) and a team of cyclists — embarked on a 3,000 mile bike ride across 12 American states for the Race Across America charity event.
At the time, Pippa was still dating Jackson but as I alluded to in my intro, she and Matthews remained very friendly throughout the years. I think Matthews nursed a very soft spot for Pippa and found any reason to be around her, even as a friend. Traveling to another country for a friend, even for as altruistic a reason as charity, spells besotted to my eyes.
In early Autumn 2015, Matthews accompanied Pippa, her brother James and her parents Carole and Michael Middleton on a vacation to St. Barts during the summer. Middleton was seen being playfully thrown into the water by James and Matthews, though their relationship was “platonic” during the trip as Pippa was still dating Jackson at the time.
Dear Readers, I admit, it’s a little odd to be going on vacation with your family and a man that isn’t your significant other. But perhaps it’s just down to coincidence. The Middletons were believed to be staying at Eden Rock, a luxury hotel resort owned by Matthews’s family and no expense was spared for this holiday. Perhaps Pippa asked for a discount and he obliged? And then realized he was also in need of a holiday…?
A day after her birthday on September 6, Matthews was with Pippa and James for the Otillo Swim Run Championship in Sweden on 7 Sept 2015. The team ran, swam, jumped and navigated tough terrain in cold, windy weather to raise money for the Michael Matthews Foundation, which was founded to honor Matthews’s late brother who died on a mountain climbing expedition.
And on December 2015, Matthews joined Pippa, her mother and Prince William for a holiday concert benefiting the Henry van Strabenzee Memorial Fund. Shortly after, Matthews and Pippa headed to St. Barts again to ring in the new year with her brother James. This was all the confirmation that was needed: Pippa and Nico were no more and Pippa and Matthews were back on.
The Engagement
Pippa and Matthews announced their engagement a scant seven months later on 17 July 2016, after Matthews reportedly popped the question while the two were visiting northwest England’s Lake District.
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