Why Kate Middleton Won't Be Pippa's Bridesmaid

We all remember when the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa stole the show at the 2011 Royal wedding; now it looks like that's why Kate, 34, will not be acting as bridesmaid or maid of honour when Pippa ties the knot with financier James Matthews, 41, in 2017.

According to royal author Judy Wade, it's natural that all eyes would be on the future Queen, taking some of the attention away from the bride.

"Kate would upstage her sister. It's a tricky situation for Pippa. She would want her sister by her side, as who else would she trust to make things go well?" she told People magazine.

"But if your sister is a future Queen, she is going to upstage the bride and draw attention. Kate would want to be in the background as much as possible."

According to tradition, Pippa would have to make Kate the maid of honour rather than a bridesmaid, who is supposed to be an unmarried family member.

One possible low-key role for the Duchess would be to do a reading, a duty her brother James performed at the royal wedding.

Or she may be content to be represented by her children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who are set to take on roles as page boy and flower girl respectively.

Pippa is set to tie the knot with James next summer in a ceremony at her village church of St Mark's in Englefield, Berkshire, before moving onto a reception in her parents' back garden with just 150 guests.

Read the full article at nzherald.co.nz