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    Pippa Middleton "Does Her Own Thing" But Could Be Offered One Future Role With Princess Kate, Says Former Butler

    The Princess of Wales's younger sister, who turns 43 on September 6, "keeps herself very low key."

    Kristin Contino's avatar
    By Kristin Contino
    Published 6 September 2026 In News

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    Pippa Middleton, Princess Charlotte and Princess Kate sitting down and smiling at each other at Wimbledon
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    Pippa Middleton is celebrating her 43rd birthday on Sunday, September 6, and while the famously close-knit Middleton family is likely celebrating quietly at home, Princess Kate's younger sister could accept a more front-and-center role in the Royal Family when Prince William becomes King.

    King Charles's former butler at Highgrove House, Grant Harrold, says that he respects how the Middleton family "manage to stay out of the limelight," but points out that like, Queen Camilla's sister, Annabel Elliot, Pippa might choose to support her sister when she's Queen.

    Unlike Queen Elizabeth, who had ladies-in-waiting, Queen Camilla chose a group of close friends, as well as her sister, to serve as a more modern version of the role, calling them companions. "In the future, I wouldn’t rule out Pippa becoming one of Kate’s companions," Harrold shares, speaking to Smooth Spins Casino. "Like what Queen Camilla is doing right now with her sister.”

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    Pippa Middleton wearing a white dress and holding a hat at Wimbledon 2026

    Pippa Middleton attends Wimbledon 2026.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Carole, Michael, James and Pippa Middleton walking outside Westminster Abbey with Alizee Thevenet for the Together at Christmas concert

    Pippa (far right) joins her parents Carole and Michael Middleton, brother James Middleton and sister-in-law Alizee Thevenet at Princess Kate's Together at Christmas concert in 2024.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    If Princess Kate also chooses to give official companion roles when she's Queen, Pippa would certainly make an ideal choice.

    "Pippa does her own thing," Harrold shares. "She keeps herself very low key, and I think she does a really good job of it." The former butler adds that the Middleton family as a whole provides "strong support from the background, but they respect the family and traditions enough to be strictly private."

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    Since the Princess of Wales grew up outside of the Royal Family, the Middletons also give Prince William the chance to relax and be himself. “Pippa and the wider Middleton family are really good for William, as they’ve offered this whole other side of family life," Harrold says. "We know he is the future monarch, but he gets a wonderful normal lifestyle when he’s with Kate’s family."

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    Princess Catherine Prince William
    Kristin Contino
    Kristin Contino
    Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

    Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

    Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

    Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

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