There has been much talk about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle this week ahead of their first joint appearance since moving back to the UK.
Their visit to Nottingham has gone unmentioned by the royal family - King Charles issued a statement ahead of the trip reiterating their status as 'private citizens'.
And it has been business as usual for the Firm with the monarch and Queen Camilla stepping out in Cardiff to officially open the new term of the Senedd, Wales' parliament.
Prince William and Princess Catherine, meanwhile, had a break from their royal duties. Instead, the future Queen had a happy family occasion to focus on - her nephew's birthday.
Arthur Michael William Matthews, the eldest son of Pippa Middleton and her husband, James Matthews, is celebrating his eighth birthday on 15 October; also the same day that Sarah Ferguson turns 67.
Princess Catherine, 44, is a doting auntie and also incredibly close to her parents and her younger siblings, Pippa, 43, and James, 39.
Prince William highlighted the Middletons' closeness in his 2010 engagement interview, saying: "Kate's got a very, very close family. I get on really well with them and I'm very lucky that they've been so supportive."
In contrast, the House of Windsor has spent the past several years navigating family fractures, scandal and the fallout from the Sussexes' interviews and Prince Harry's tell-all memoir, Spare. But the Middletons have built a reputation for steadfast loyalty with matriarch Carole Middleton once saying: "Over the years; it’s proved wise not to say anything."
Just like Kate, Pippa is a proud mum of three children: Arthur Michael William, born on October 15, 2018, Grace Elizabeth Jane, born on March 15, 2021, and Rose Louise Victoria, who arrived on June 20, 2022.
Pippa, James and their children live a quiet life together at Barton Court, a 32-room Georgian mansion set on a large estate in Kintbury, Berkshire, close to her parents' family home in Bucklebury. The lavish property is said to have cost around £15 million when they bought it back in 2022, and boasts a swimming pool and a tennis court.
Sisterly bond
The Middleton sisters, born just 21 months apart, grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire and both attended boarding school, Marlborough College.
Kate and Pippa shared a love of sport, including hockey, tennis and athletics, which has followed them into adulthood.
After graduating from university, Kate and Pippa shared a £1.88 million apartment in Chelsea, close to King's Road. The Middleton sisters were often spotted on nights out together at popular hotspots, including Mahiki and Boujis.
In a rare interview with NBC in 2014, Pippa said: "Obviously she has pressures that she's taken on and things. But we spend a lot of time together. We still do a lot together as a family. We have a very normal, sisterly relationship. We're very close."
Royal wedding 2011
Pippa had a huge supporting role as Kate's maid of honour at the royal wedding in April 2011. While she might have made headlines for her stunning bridesmaid dress, Pippa was there to hold the train of Kate's Alexander McQueen gown as well as lead the young bridal party into Westminster Abbey.
© Photo: Getty ImagesSpeaking about the big day to NBC, Pippa said: "It sounds funny to say, but we saw it as just a family wedding. And actually, I didn't realise, perhaps, the scale of it until afterwards. We all took on the roles as any family would."
Pippa Middleton's wedding 2017
Kate repaid the favour to her sister in a supporting role at Pippa's nuptials in Englefield in May 2017. Looking chic in a pale pink McQueen dress, the then Duchess of Cambridge kept a watchful eye on the young bridal party, including her own children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
© Samir HusseinThe royal was also sweetly spotted adjusting Pippa's veil before she walked down the aisle.
