Meet Pippa Middleton’s billionaire husband, James Matthews: the ex-racing driver went to Eton like Prince William, but why was Prince Harry and not Meghan Markle invited to the couple’s 2017 wedding?

Mar 2 , 2024

Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews. Photo: @pippa.middleton.matthews/Instagram

Kate Middleton might’ve scored a prince, but did you know her older sister Pippa has also done rather well for herself, finding love with a British billionaire?

Before Pippa Middleton married James Matthews she is believed to have dated JJ Jardine-Paterson and Alexander Spencer-Churchill, among others. Photo: Reuters

It’s no secret that the Middleton sisters have always been well connected, but 40-year-old Pippa has a particular reputation for mingling with society’s wealthiest heirs and financiers – from dates with Hong Kong banking scion JJ Jardine-Paterson to Alexander Spencer-Churchill (a distant relative of former prime minister Winston Churchill).

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Nevertheless, it’s been a while since she settled down – quite comfortably we might add – with ultra-wealthy beau James Matthews, 48, with whom she shares three children.

Here’s everything we know about the “It” girl’s companion for life:

James Matthews is a British former professional racing driver

Matthews kick-started his career as a British racing driver. According to Guest of a Guest, when he was just 18, Matthews came first in the British Formula Renault Championship and the Formula Renault Eurocup.

He now works as the CEO of Eden Rock Capital Management Group, an asset management company that he launched in 2001, per his profile on WilliamsF1.

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His brother is a reality TV star and podcaster

If you don’t recognise James, who generally stays away from the spotlight, you may be familiar with his brother, Spencer Matthews, who has starred in British reality TV shows including Made in Chelsea and I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.

Spencer is also an active podcaster, interviewing celebrities such as Sydney Sweeney, and he has been married to model Vogue Williams since 2018.

He went to the same boarding school as Prince William

Both Prince William and his sister in law’s husband James Matthews went to the famous Eton College. Photo: AP

The more you look into it, the more crossovers you’ll find when it comes to Britain’s upper class. For example, Matthews went to the same boarding school as Prince William – Eton College – according to Town & Country magazine. Matthews was just a few years ahead of his future sister-in-law’s husband.

How did the Matthews family make their money?

Pippa Matthews (née Middleton) and her husband James Matthews in an official photo taken at the christening of Pippa’s nephew Prince Louis at Clarence House. Photo: AP

According to Town & Country, James’ family father built his fortune in the hospitality sector, and owns the luxurious Eden Rock Hotel in St. Barths.

And that’s not all. Matthews is also the heir to Glen Affric, a 10,000-acre estate in the Scottish Highlands, per Observer. The hedge fund manager is estimated to have a fortune of more than US$2 billion, per E! News, with L’Officiel even suggesting the couple were “wealthier than the queen”.

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How did Pippa Middleton and James Matthews meet?

Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018. Photo: Reuters

According to Harper’s Bazaar, Middleton and Matthews’ love story dates back to 2007 when they met for the first time at his parents’ hotel in St. Barths.

They dated on and off for a few years then tied the knot in a lavish bash in 2017, with A-list guests including William and Kate, of course, Prince Harry, Princess Eugenie, brother James Middleton, Roger and Mirka Federer, Donna Air and more.

Pippa Middleton met James Matthews in 2007 and the pair dated on and off before marrying in 2017. Photo: Reuters

It was reported that they didn’t invite Meghan Markle because they were afraid that, given the media attention around her at the time, it might’ve “overshadowed” the main event – at least according to authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.

“Both the bride and her mum, Carole, privately harboured concerns that the American actress’s presence alongside [Prince] Harry might overshadow the main event,” the pair wrote in the book Finding Freedom.

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How many children do Pippa Middleton and James Matthews have?

James Matthews and Pippa Middleton married at St Mark’s Church in the UK in 2017. Photo: Reuters

According to People, the couple share three children: Arthur, five, Grace, two, and Rose, one, who they’ve kept away from the spotlight.

Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton might’ve scored a prince, and that’s cool and all – but did you know her older sister Pippa has also done quite well for herself, finding love with a British billionaire?
He kick-started his career as a racing driver, ranking No 1 in the British Formula Renault Championship and the Formula Renault Eurocup, and is now CEO of Eden Rock Capital Management Group