Chris Mejaski
While Kate Middleton may have been the one to marry into royalty (not many people can say that!), the public's enthrallment with her younger sister Pippa was a surprise outcome of the 2011 Royal Wedding.
If you've yet to get acquainted with the 28-year-old beauty, here are five fun facts about the middle child of the Middleton family, which you can work into conversation at your next royalty-themed dinner party.
- 1. Pippa's just a nickname
Although "Pippa" rolls off the tongue very easily, her given name is actually "Philippa." As her profile has risen, she's also been referred to as 'Perfect Pippa.' The stunning beauty was known to be a hard worker at the University of Edinburgh, which she attended on a sports scholarship, and she was reportedly quite popular within the upper-class social circles.
- 2. She likes a party
In addition to her own reputation as a bit of a socialite, Middleton has worked a number of jobs that prove she can plan fancy soirees just as well as she can attend them. In 2008 she worked at a PR firm before taking an events management job with London-based company Table Talk. Today she's believed to work a couple days a week for her parents' company Party Pieces, a mail-order party supply company, and editing the business' web magazine called Party Times.
- 3. Her man's no slouch
Sure, a prince is a pretty great catch, but Pippa's man isn't anything to scoff at, either. Middleton's reportedly dating George Percy, heir to the Duke of Northumberland, whose family just so happens to own Alnwick Castle — better known as the setting for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the "Harry Potter" films. The on-again off-again couple (who are apparently on-again at the moment) met as students at Edinburgh University, and have been romantically linked multiple times.
- 4. She can walk a runway
While paparazzi may photograph her out and about on a daily basis, in 2004 Pippa took the spotlight herself while participating in a charity fashion show at the University of Edinburgh. At age 20, Pippa took on five different looks donated by designers like Ted Baker and Stella McCartney, to raise money for cancer research. While she hasn't quite pursued a modeling career since, all the attention she attracted in her white Alexander McQueen dress at the Royal Wedding suggests she's still got a knack for showing off fashion.
- 5. Yes, her backside became gossip-worthy
After stealing the spotlight from sister Kate at the Royal Wedding 2011, Pippa's figure — and her backside specifically — gained quite a lot of attention. After it became a surprise topic of conversation, People Magazine named it the 'Top Body Moment of 2011,' while countless Facebook fan pages and Twitter accounts popped up, dedicated to Pippa's bum.
