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Princess Kate‘s sister, Pippa Middleton, will be celebrating her 43rd birthday on Sept. 6, but this year having a party is something that’s likely off the table since the last one she threw drew the ire of her neighbors.

Last year, Pippa held a party for her husband James Matthews’ 50th birthday at their West Berkshire Barton Court estate. As the Daily Mail noted, the party’s theme was “racy,” a nod to Matthews’ passion for motorsports as he is a former racing driver and a board member of the British F1 team Atlassian Williams Racing.

The event began in the afternoon with a Spitfire (World War II-era fighter plane) flying right over their home. That rubbed many locals the wrong way, but then other happenings at the couple’s 145-acre property were heard far and wide as several neighbors fumed over noise complaints.

The party, which Prince William and Kate attended, lasted into the early morning hours, with one resident who lives in the area saying they heard music and thumping still going at 1:30 a.m. Other neighbors described the party as “wild” and claimed it caused an “uproar,” leaving many “furious” and lashing out at Pippa, calling her “entitled” and “inconsiderate.”

So how might the Princess of Wales’ younger sister celebrate her birthday this year as she and her neighbors have since had battles over a closed pedestrian access roadway along their property and the constructing of a parking lot on their estate? Someone who used to work for the royals has an idea of what Kate’s sibling may do.

Grant Harrold was King Charles’ butler for seven years. During his time working for the monarch, Harrold’s duties also included valet, housekeeper, house manager, and driver. He looked after Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate as well whenever they stayed at Highgrove. Since leaving the royal household, Harrold has become one of the U.K.’s leading etiquette experts. In 2025, he published his first book, The Royal Butler, which became an Amazon bestseller. He regularly appears on TV offering royal commentary on both current and historic news stories.

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Speaking on behalf of Smooth Spins Casino — Smooth Radio’s Gaming Brand, Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “Pippa does her own thing. [She and the rest of Kate’s family] offer strong support from the background, but they respect the family and traditions enough to be strictly private. It’s possible that Kate and William may invite Pippa and maybe the extended Middleton family to Windsor or Sandringham to celebrate. It will be a very special but low-key celebration.”

Harrold added, “Pippa and the wider Middleton family are really good for William, as they’ve offered this whole other side of family life. While he was brought up royal, his mother, [Princess] Diana, did try to bring him up in as much of normality as possible. That’s something that the Middleton family still offers him. We know he is the future monarch, but he gets a wonderful normal lifestyle when he’s with Kate’s family. In the future, I wouldn’t rule out Pippa becoming one of Kate’s companions. Like what Queen Camilla is doing right now with her sister.”

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