Pippa Middleton Steps Out at Wimbledon
Pippa Middleton, sister of Princess Catherine, made a rare public appearance at Wimbledon on Monday, accompanied by her mother Carole Middleton. The duo were photographed smiling in the sunshine at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. Carole wore a long white dress paired with a blue blazer, while Pippa opted for a white maxi V-neck dress featuring a red floral pattern. Princess Catherine was not present with them.
Absent from Family Photo
Pippa's appearance at the tennis tournament comes shortly after she was notably absent from a family photograph released on Sunday. That image showed Princess Catherine with her parents, brother, husband, and children, but did not include Pippa or her family.
Ongoing Neighbour Dispute
The outing also follows a prolonged dispute between Pippa and her husband James Matthews and neighbours over the driveway of their £15.5 million estate, Barton Court in Kintbury. After moving into the property in 2022, the couple installed an electric security gate on the drive, which blocked access to a pathway called Mill Lane. In response, the walking group West Berkshire Ramblers applied for a definitive map modification order in January 2023 to have the route officially recognised as a public footpath.
West Berkshire District Council investigated the matter and concluded that the route was “reasonably alleged to exist as a public right of way based on evidence, legislation and case law,” according to inquiry documents. Mr Matthews, who purchased the 32-room property in August 2022, objected to the order.
Inquiry Details
Speaking at an inquiry held at Kintbury Coronation Hall in Hungerford in May, Mr Matthews stated that nothing in the conveyancing process alerted him to any public use of the drive when he bought the property. He also noted that neighbours and the local parish council raised no objections when the gate was installed. He argued that the security gates are necessary due to his family’s high public profile. The outcome of the inquiry has not yet been published.
