Pippa Middleton is finally engaged! While he doesn’t have a title, he is terribly rich and (bonus) he seems to like Pippa. His name is James Matthews and they’ve been together since last fall. Just a few weeks ago, Pippa’s family even pushed a story that James was going to propose to Pippa by September, which turned out to be just the Middleton-push that he needed, apparently. The proposal announcement also comes just a week after James and Pippa stepped out for the first time at a big public event, Wimbledon. So thoughtful, now everyone has photos of James and Pippa together. You can read the Daily Mail’s cloying article about the engagement here. Here are the broad strokes:

He proposed in the Lake District: As Pippa took in the scenery, her romantic beau was dropping to his knees and preparing an even more spectacular sight – drawing out a stunning diamond ring from deep within a pocket. Kneeling before her James asked Pippa to marry him. And within a moment she said ‘yes’ and suddenly Britain’s most eligible young woman was off the market.

Wedding plans: Their wedding – almost certain to be held next year – will be the most glamorous and talked about match since Kate Middleton’s to Prince William five years ago.

Everyone wanted this for Pippa: The engagement, which I understand took the 32-year-old former party planner completely by surprise, has thrilled Kate and William and delighted the duchess’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton. Indeed I can reveal that Matthews, 40, asked Pippa’s father for permission for his daughter’s hand before popping the question. ‘James is a traditionalist and very much wanted to do things properly. That meant getting his future father in law’s consent,’ a friend of the couple tells me. Another family friend says: ‘Mike and Carole are very happy. They like James and they are sure he will make Pippa very happy.’

Pippa feigned surprise: Another friend told me Pippa was ‘completely and totally surprised’ by the proposal but accepted it at once. What drew her to Matthews, I understand, was his love for outdoor pursuits, particularly, running, swimming, skiing and cycling. ‘They love physical challenges,’ says a friend. ‘Pippa has swum the Bosphorus, climbed Mont Blanc and cycled across America. It makes them a good match. Earlier this year they completed 33 mile cross country ski race in Norway.’

His self-made fortune: ‘He worked very hard from an early age,’ says a friend. ‘He made a huge amount of cash from hedge funds and some more from the London property market. We’re talking millions here and you don’t do that by the age of 40 unless you are a sharp cookie. And James is very bright.’

Pippa is the lucky one: ‘Many people will say what a lucky guy James is for landing Pippa,’ says a close friend, ‘I would say she’s the lucky one. He’s one hell of a catch.’

[From The Daily Mail]

What’s nice about this is that James and Pippa have known each other for years, so even though they’ve been together for less than a year, they have a lot of friends in common and – dare I say – they are pretty well-matched, and they have been around each other for a while. I suspect that Pippa really IS the lucky one – she’s marrying a self-made man who is terribly rich. Who is he marrying? Madame PippaTips, who spent years trying to score a man with a title. Still, I get the feeling that all of the stars aligned on this one: Pippa’s family AND the press were working really hard not to scare off James. And it worked!

Here’s a photo of Pippa “hiding her ring finger” last night in London.

And here are some pics of James hanging out with the Middletons at Wimbledon:

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet and PCN.