For years, I’ve been aghast at the tackiness of the Middleton family. They really have no social graces, they have terrible fashion, the mother is always drunk, they play stupid games with the tabloids, they’re up to their eyeballs in debt, they screwed over small businesses and their own vendors, the brother’s dog-memoir sounded like it was written by an illiterate palace lackey, and to top it all off, they’re inconsiderate neighbors. That’s right, Pippa Middleton and her terribly moderately wealthy husband have alienated their posh neighbors with a gauche and noisy display. It turns out Terribly Moderately Wealthy James Matthews recently turned 50 years old, so his wife Pippa arranged for a very loud exhibition for his birthday party.
The future Queen’s sister Pippa Middleton has caused uproar in her village after she threw a wild 50th birthday party for her billionaire husband, James Matthews, I can reveal. Furious neighbours in her sleepy Berkshire village berated the Princess of Wales’s sister for her ‘entitled’ and ‘inconsiderate’ behaviour that kept them awake into the small hours.
I’m told the noise began in the afternoon with an elaborate Spitfire display over the grand house, much to the dismay of locals who were ‘concerned’ that the roar of the engines would upset their dogs.
‘I thought this might happen when Pippa moved in. People with money,’ one fed-up local tells me. Another claims that the boisterous party disturbed them until 1.30am with music booming from the 145-acre estate last Saturday night.
‘It’s common courtesy and respect,’ continues another. ‘There are a lot of very nice people who have a lot of money, but this is about entitlement. I’m a night owl and I do like parties but I’m also aware of others. They could easily have had a silent disco.’
I hear the party’s theme was ‘racy’, which could have been a nod to hedge fund financier James’s dalliance with Formula One. It was rumoured former boss of Red Bull F1, Christian Horner, and wife Geri Halliwell were among the guests, as well as James’s brother Spencer and wife Vogue Williams. It’s thought Pippa’s sister Kate and Prince William were also there.
If I wanted to give Pippa and TMW James the benefit of the doubt, I would say that a noisy Spitfire flyover in the middle of the afternoon is preferable to one in the evening. Still, I’m sure the local dogs were upset, and hiring a Spitfire flyover is utterly bizarre, in general. What I don’t get is the property is grand, with 145 acres, as Richard Eden says. How loud was the music if it carried over all that distance? Is the Middleton-Matthews estate in a valley with an echo or something? It also sounds like Pippa was far too grand to invite her neighbors to the party and THAT is the root of the problem – sour grapes over not being invited. As for William and Kate’s attendance… I just looked up TMW James’s birthday – August 21. When was the party? Was it right after the Keens returned from their grim trip to Balmoral, when Charles didn’t even speak to them or see them? LMAO.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- Carole Middleton arriving at Westminster Abbey, central London, ahead of the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.,Image: 774175184, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Milligan / Avalon
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- Pippa Middleton leaves Westminster Abbey after the Coronation of King Charles III in London, United Kingdom, on 06 May 2023.,Image: 774201249, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Unknown / Avalon
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- Pippa Middleton at the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom, on 06 May 2023.,Image: 774228502, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Dan Charity / Avalon
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- James Middleton walks with his wife, Alizee Thevenet, followed by his sister Pippa and mother Carole, as they arrive for the Together At Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey in London.,Image: 943741915, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon/Avalon
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Pippa Middleton puts on a stylish display with husband James Matthews as they attend the Cirque du Soleil’s Luizia at the Royal Albert Hall Pictured: Pippa Middleton, James Matthews BACKGRID USA 13 JANUARY 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Pippa Middleton attends the Heart Hero Awards 2023 in London. Pictured: Pippa Middleton BACKGRID USA 6 DECEMBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- North America Rights Only – London, UK -20191204- Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews leaving St Luke’s church in Chelsea, hand in hand, having attended The Henry Van Straubenzee Memorial Fund’s Christmas Carol Service -PICTURED: Pippa Middleton and James Matthews -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing Featuring: Pippa Middleton and James Matthews Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 04 Dec 2019 Credit: INSTARimages.com **North America Rights Only**
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- Together At Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey Featuring: James Middleton, Alizee Thevenet and Pippa Middleton Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 Dec 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- Together At Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey Featuring: Carole Middleton, Michael Middleton, James Middleton, Alizee Thevenet and Pippa Middleton Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 Dec 2024 Credit: Cover Images
Tacky, rude, classless that sure does sound like the Middletons. Oh and let’s not forget gold diggers.
Hmmm. I’m loathe to defend here but one loud 50th birthday party isn’t the worst thing. Especially if they’re not loud regularly or throwing loud parties regularly. That said, if the music was that loud, yeah, it should end at a reasonable time imo. It’s not that hard to not be an asshole, just saying. But I think the bigger issue is that some of the neighbors aren’t fans. Wasn’t there a to-do over one of the paths near their house as well? Plus they have a kid’s thing or something on their property which might tick off the neighbors also?
It sounds like this is part of a bigger problem of Pippa and James not being especially considerate neighbors and not trying to fit into the community. so I can see something like a party ticking people off if they are already not fans of them.
(and it would be annoying for a loud party to go on for hours, it sounds like this went from the afternoon to the early morning, and if it was loud enough for the sound to carry over 140 acres…..then it was probably too loud.)
I think the plane flyover probably set them off. Especially if it was done without warning. Pets really do get upset with that and if the neighbours were given no warning, they have a right to be pissed. It’s not like this was an expected holiday where fireworks are used.
If you have a good relationship with your neighbors, then you could give them a heads up about what time it’s going to happen and just a general idea of when and how long etc. But you’d have to have that good relationship first.
@Jais — I have to disagree with you here about needing a good relationship with neighbors to let them know about an upcoming shindig.
We had our wedding reception in our backyard. Typical American suburb, houses close together.
We put a dance floor on the lawn, set up speakers, lots of food, beer & champagne, about 75 people which was pretty much all our 2-bedroom house could accommodate for restroom access etc. Went from mid-afternoon to at least 2 or 3 a.m. — not sure, we escaped to a hotel room.
Two weeks before the wedding, we visited all the houses on our block, and the ones nearby behind us. We gave people invitations, let them know what would be happening, apologized in advance for any inconvenience with street parking or noise.
We’d never met any of these people except the neighbors directly next door. We got a very nice response from everyone, and one or two did drop in, were welcomed, had some goodies & went home.
The music wasn’t deliberately obnoxious, of course, but it could be heard all down the block for sure, as well as plenty of noise. Yet we got zero complaints from anyone.
It doesn’t take that much effort to avoid pissing off your neighbors, nor does it require being friends first. But it does take having at least a bit of consideration.
Fair enough. That sounds exactly as how one should do it. So yeah, I’ll amend what I said. It doesn’t have to start with a good relationship or a relationship at all as you’ve shown. But what if the relations are already strained or sour, which was what I was getting at. No idea if that’s the case but going to the tabloids over this would suggest somewhere the relations are not good. But at the same time maybe this person is getting paid for these comments so who’s to say.
Agree @Jais and @Kaiser. There’s a lot of things to criticize the Middletons for, but a 50th birthday party on a Saturday night that was loud at (checks notes) one thirty in the morning? it’s not like it was 6 am with fireworks and such, and it’s a one-off.
What other problems have they caused with neighbors? Other than them wanting to put in an Olympic-sized pool on a property with plenty of room with their own money, which, again…among neighbor problems this is hardly an eye-raiser?
Sounds like a lot of pearl-clutching from bitter neighbors that weren’t invited
Lol, so, I’ll say if the music was super loud…ending the music at midnight or at least lowering it at midnight would have been a better choice. Again, not that hard to not be an asshole. But I’m old like that. Again though, if it’s a one time thing and not a regular thing, fine whatever.
I call bullshit. 145 acres is huge, the neighbors wouldn’t have heard anything. Also, where are the photos of this flyover? Surely someone would have pulled out their mobile and taken a snap. I think the tabs are warning Kate and William they will go after the Midds if they don’t play nice.
Hmm. That’s a possibility.
But estate houses aren’t typically plopped down in the middle of their acreage.
Houses are usually built fairly near roads, for easier access. Houses and villages cluster together with open land spreading out behind and around.
Plus, 145 acres equals about one-quarter of one square mile. Not far for noise to carry in the countryside.
Ehhhhh.
He turned 50 and she threw him a massive party. For the sound to carry to the point of keeping people up is a little insane. Get a white noise app on your phone and move on with your life.
She has done one loud – that we know of – event in the however many years they have lived their. And I love my dog but again – it’s a one off.
Maybe it’s the American in me who is like – July is just fireworks. Deal with it.
Americans are so slutty with their noise. Like we don’t want to hear you, our pets don’t want to hear you, veterans with ptsd don’t want to hear you.
Americans are so slutty with their noise is cracking me up. Do you live somewhere that doesn’t allow leaf blowers?
@Jais right? I’m dying with laughter over here, too. I believe the lady in question having the loud party is English?
Ha! That’s right. And yet I am still in love with this statement that Americans are so slutty with their noise. It’s amazing, truly.
I’m sure Kate was there. William? I wouldn’t put money on that!
They used the old “It’s thought” W&K were there, so really, it’s “Who the hell knows” if W&K were there.
Really curious as to when this party was if his birthday was a month ago. Unless the party was this past weekend, why are they writing about this now?
Wow, when you sum up the Middletons like that, it’s no wonder Kate gets along with Trump like a house on fire. Trash birds of a feather.
It sounds like the party was Sept. 20th per the article I wrote on People so this past Saturday. Maybe they delayed it because so many people were traveling in August? I would be super annoyed too if I had to listen to some loud estate with booming music until the early hours of the morning. But it sounds like this was a one time thing for James’s 50th birthday. The Spitfire plane is a bit much and over the top, I will give the neighbors that! I doubt they’ll be doing this kind of celebration on a yearly basis. Also have the British never heard of earplugs? I always have some on hand and always travel with them!
Just a quick edit: I did not write the article on People, per the article I READ on People lol.
People who live in rural areas usually don’t hear what their neighbours are doing unless it is wildly loud. So the party was that bad. Having a flyover is an issue for pets and really he’s just turning 50. Just indulgent behaviour, which is likely why the neighbours don’t associate with them. And not shutting down the loud parts of the party by midnight is again rude and ignorant behaviour.
I guess these are the Middletons values we all hear about.
Eden only says it is “thought” Kate and William went. So they didn’t go because Eden would have confirmed that if he could, especially with James Middleton being a source.
I have followed F1 for decades and can’t imagine inviting Horner – a cheat, racist and liar – to anything. That says a lot.
Right? Only the kind of person that would make their husband’s 50th birthday theme “racy”
This is the type of thing that if you already don’t like your neighbor, it becomes the worst thing ever. From the reporting that I have occasionally seen about them the issue with the path that they closed, the petting zoo and the zoning issues, and now this party it just seems like the neighbors aren’t fans of them and so they’re at their bitch eating crackers moment with them.
People have parties and do loud stuff, and it can be annoying but you kind of have to just suck it up. It’s not great for pets on the 4th of July, and it’s one of those annoyances you’re going to have to deal with. Decent neighbors would at least give you the heads up that they’re going to have a party, and apologize if it’s a little loud which doesn’t sound like it happened in this case. Or like others have said they knew the party was happening and are just bitter that they weren’t invited.
Good summary. And yeah I just said the same above. Decent neighbors would give a heads up. But I’m thinking they are not on speaking terms with all their neighbors. And maybe they were bitter not to be invited idk.
I think bitch eating crackers is precisely what this is. Its easy to ignore a good neighbor who hosts a big party or occasionally ticks you off. But if that neighbor with the big party is otherwise obnoxious and inconsiderate, then a 50th birthday party is a bigger issue.
I am weirdly fascinated that Eden is talking about this though since it does make Pippa look bad.
Maybe he’s been cut off from the dog food supply.
Agree – if this was a one off, I don’t think we’d hear about it. But remember they’ve closed the footpaths, kicked out tenants (I think even some elderly ones who’d lived on the estate for many years), and now this. Plus demolishing the kitchen garden, putting in the “bigger than Olympic sized pool,” and who knows what else. They don’t sound beloved by the community.
Technically putting in a pool on their own property sounds fine. I want one! But the other stuff that affects those around them is fair game for possible tensions with the neighbors.
Well of course it would be tacky . It’s the Middletons and terribly moderate James . His family seems just as tacky and seedy
Why are the Fail perpetuating the lie that the Matthews are billionaires?
They’re not on the Times’s Rich List, and have never been. This year’s edition lists the top 350 people/families in the UK, and it goes “down” to several people with a listed wealth of £ 350 million, the last entry on that list being Charlotte Tilbury, by alphabet.
https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list
There’s no doubt the Matthews are very wealthy, and very obnoxious, and haughty, and entitled arrivistes — but they’re no billionaires.
Hence Kaiser’s descriptor TMW being absolutely correct.
This isn’t the first time Pippa and TMW James have caused trouble with their neighbours. Back in 2023 they evicted tenants, one of which was a registered Children’s home, from their land, and more recently stopped locals from using a public footpath.
Like others I feel like this isn’t a big deal, and perhaps the neighbors’ complaining just indicates a pattern of minor clashes between them and Pippa’s family. It was a special occasion, a milestone birthday, and the party only went until 1:30 AM. It’s not like they were partying until 4 or something. The Spitfires were overkill but the party itself? It seems like a reasonable thing for people to do on their own private 100+ acre estate.
I do think the Middletons are tacky but that doesn’t mean everything Pippa and James do is tacky.
The Spitfire complaint gets me. It would have been one or two passes of a plane or two or three and that would have been that. Do they not have any planes flying overhead where they’re at? Bet they do, it’s a small country over all. 🙄
Plus come to think of it, those Spitfires had to take off & land somewhere nearby, right? They’re small fighter planes, not long-distance bombers, right? So a nearby airport would suggest a fair amount of air traffic in the vicinity.
There is a lot going on in the world right now, none of it good. A noisy, one time 50ith birthday bash is not a bad thing, people need to have a little fun and laugh a bit. I think all this “complaining” is exaggerated .
I love this. It’s straight out of an Agatha Christie novel…the nouveau riche family that comes in and annoys the villagers and local gentry sans the dead body in the library.
Early days yet, they moved there not too long ago. 😉
Some people here are convinced that Pippa is like a fifth column and the anti Kate when in reality she’s always been a grasping wannabe who desperately tried to use her much wanted fame to become something before retreating when she was revealed to be wholly untalented. It’s Pippa that was only referring to Kate to anyone outside the family as “The Duchess.” It’s Pippa that has had mountains of time on her hands and now access to great personal wealth and we hear of no ongoing time commitment or charity work, just Goop-esque financial ventures. The locals don’t like them because they took over a beloved beautiful estate and the man that owned it understood the role of landed gentry in British life to allow access to the lands and be benevolent to the public and they immediately rejected that. Pippa is just as horrid as the others.
So take this with a grain of salt but I’ve seen talk online indicating that Pippa and Kate/Carole are on the outs– apparently she doesn’t like that Carole spends more time with her royal grandkids than the others. (She does still talk to James and Michael, I think.) It’s also worth mentioning that Pippa was the one who made the comment that Kate “wasn’t sick in the traditional sense.”
I’m wondering if this birthday party story was maybe planted by Kate/Carole or even KP as payback for that remark, as well as a continuation of their ongoing alleged feud. I remember when this went up on the DM’s website the headline was written in a really shady way, as if it was Pippa’s 50th birthday party. Seemed almost mean girl-ish.
It would fit with Eden being the one who wrote this. The “not sick in the traditional sense” was an interesting comment for Pippa to make, opening up more questions which she knows are out there.
wait, pippa said that?? Damnnnnn…..
I can see there being a rift based on how the grandkids are treated. I mean I have some issues with how obsessed my mother is with my niece and nephew and not the rest of the grandkids (I honestly don’t think she sees the issue at all but my one brother and I do.) Anyway, that’s a “normal family” dynamic. Imagine how much more effed up it is when one set of grandkids are royal. I’m sure Carole prioritizes those kids and Kate over Pippa’s kids and james’s son to an insane degree, especially considering how much help and support Kate has in terms of paid staff (meaning she does not need carole to do the school run.)
It’s hard to fathom how having cancerous/precancerous cells isn’t being sick in the traditional sense. Unfortunately lots of people get cancer so I’m unsure what’s not traditional about that. It’s just a weird turn of phrase ontop of all of KP’s weird wording.
Well, I can see how that would be a sore spot for her. She was the second daughter and maybe not the one Carole groomed to marry a Royal (though Kate was the same school year as William, so it might have been more about timing than a preference for Kate). If my mother prioritized my sister’s kids over mine I’d probably be hurt too. Heck, my mother DID prioritize one of my sisters’ sons over mine, mostly because she was a single mother and needed more help. I understood her reasons, but Carole doesn’t have that excuse.
Most people realize that it’s the nice thing to do to invite neighbors or at least give them a heads up when there is going to be a noisy party. I can’t imagine that Pippa would have learned this particular social nicety from her mother, who would likely rather die than invite anyone not posh enough.
Also, aren’t Kate and Pippa on the outs? Do we really think she and William were there?
“ I can’t imagine that Pippa would have learned this particular social nicety from her mother, who would likely rather die than invite anyone not posh enough.”
So it wasn’t a Pippa Tip?
If you’re that wealthy, have lavish gift baskets delivered to the neighbors. I mean, we delivered potted mums when a construction project at our house caused some annoyance.
A lot of commenters are assuming that 145 acres means that the location of the party was in the middle of all that land and thus very far away from the neighbours. However, many British stately homes are built on the edge of their estates = closer to neighbours, with the vast expanse of land extending away from the main house and surrounding buildings. It is therefore quite possible that the sound was in much closer proximity to the neighbours and would cause friction, especially if the couple has not made much effort to be neighbourly to begin with.
A friend & her husband threw a big outdoor summer bash every year, with live music. They invited the whole neighborhood to help allay this type of disgruntlement.