Pippa Middleton Struggled With Fame From Prince William & Kate's Romance

Pippa Middleton is the middle child of Carole and Michael Middleton. She lived out of the spotlight for years, just a normal girl growing up in Bucklebury, Berkshire. Even when her older sister, Kate Middleton, started dating Prince William — and eventually got engaged to him — Pippa was still off the map. However, in 2011, all of that changed. Pippa served as a bridesmaid for Kate in one of the most watched televised weddings in history, and she ended up making headlines thanks to a form-fitting dress that had just about everyone talking.

From that day forward, Pippa found herself in the news more often than not, and it seemed as though everything she did was tabloid-worthy — and she noticed. "It's a bit startling to achieve global recognition (if that's the right word) before the age of thirty, on account of your sister, your brother-in-law, and your bottom," she wrote in her book, "Celebrate: A Year of British Festivities for Families and Friends." She continued, "One day I might be able to make sense of this. In the meantime I think it's fair to say that it has its upside and its downside." When it came time for her own wedding, things looked much different than Pippa ever imagined.

In an interview with the Daily Mail in 2016, Pippa Middleton admitted that things were vastly different following her sister's wedding — and it's something that she and her then-husband-to-be had to get used to. "There's always something cropping up, and that has to be managed on my own. It's been a real eye-opener for James. There have been quite a few hurdles to negotiate," she told the outlet.

Many young girls dream of their wedding day; a white dress and a loving partner, but hardly any of those dreams include a full security detail. When Pippa married James Matthews in 2017, there were quite a few unexpected additions. The younger sister of the future queen of England was forced to increase security at her family's estate, where the reception was held. Moreover, what may have been a quiet wedding in the suburbs became a highly publicized event, with photos of the bride and groom popping up all over the internet. All eyes were on Pippa as she prepared to exchange vows at St Mark's church in Englefield, Berkshire, and when she left the church with her new husband.

In her book, Pippa Middleton admitted that unintentionally becoming famous wasn't easy, especially because she didn't really have a say in what people knew of her. The media took an angle and ran with it, leaving Pippa to simply read the things being published without her consent. "I can assure you that it feels even stranger to me than it probably does to you to have seen so much written about me when I have done so little to paint a picture of myself," she wrote in her book. Indeed, Kate Middleton and Prince William's nuptials had a lasting effect on Pippa, and her Alexander McQueen dress seen 'round the world changed her life forever.
In her interview with the Daily Mail, Pippa admitted that she was forced to develop a thicker skin, but she admitted, "managing it all on my own has been quite hard. I have quite a lot thrown at me, such as being followed by people hiding behind cars and jumping out with cameras. It can be unnerving." However, one might say that Pippa handled her unexpected popularity with poise. In the following years, Pippa has come into her own, leaving the tabloid fodder in the dust. She has gotten married, welcomed three children, and even joined forces with the British Heart Foundation, becoming an ambassador for the organization.