‘Grueling’ Year Has Brought Kate Middleton ‘Even Closer’ to Sister Pippa
Kate Middleton and her sister, Pippa Middleton Matthews, are reportedly closer than ever, and it’s all because of the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis. Now, instead of just being “best friends,” Pippa’s playing an “invaluable” role to Kate as her cancer battle continues.
‘Best friends’ Kate and Pippa are now ‘even closer’ because of Kate’s cancer diagnosis
Remember Prince Harry’s comment about seeing illness bring families closer together back in February 2024? Well, it seems to have worked, just not for him, Prince William, and King Charles III. Rather, his sister-in-law, Kate, and her sister, Pippa.
“They were already genuinely best friends,” a source told Express. “But this grueling year has seen them grow even closer.”
Kate announced she’d been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer in March 2024 after undergoing abdominal surgery two months earlier. She’s remained largely out of the spotlight as a result, apart from Trooping the Colour and the Wimbledon finals. (Pippa sat next to her sister in the Royal Box on July 14, 2024.)
“Pippa has been something of an angel and backbone for Catherine,” the insider continued. “She’s there at the drop of a hat, helping to pick up the slack on physical tasks when needed. But it’s the emotional support she provides that is invaluable to Catherine.”
The entire Middleton family—parents Carole and Michael and siblings Pippa and James—have been described as Kate’s “rock” as she battles cancer. Although Pippa especially has been there for her sister. “Pippa has been more than a shoulder to cry on—she’s been a powerful tower of support for her sister during her cancer treatment,” the outlet wrote.
Moving closer to Adelaide Cottage has also helped Pippa and Kate grow closer
Living near each other has positively impacted Kate and Pippa’s relationship. Pippa and her family—husband James Matthews and children Arthur, Grace, and Rose—live in Berkshire, England. Meanwhile, Kate, William, and their three kids Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, live at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, England.
However, that wasn’t always the case. William and Kate once called Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A their primary home. Since their 2022 relocation and Pippa’s move to Berkshire, “just a stone’s throw from Wales’s royal residence, Adelaide Cottage in Windsor,” per Express, the two are said to have become even closer.
The entire Middleton family—Kate, Pippa, and their brother James as well as their parents Michael and Carole—now live in the English countryside. That means it’s easier for them to spend time together and maintain their close relationships.
Pippa herself admitted to spending “a lot of time together” with Kate in a 2014 NBC interview. “I mean, obviously she has pressures she’s taken on and things,” she said of Kate. “But we spend a lot of time together.”
“We still do a lot together as a family,” Pippa added. “We have a very normal, sisterly relationship. We’re very close. And, you know, we support each other and get each other’s opinions and things.”
Pippa and Kate’s relationship is similar to Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth II’s
Kate’s “unbreakable” bond with Pippa drew comparisons to the late Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, Princess Margaret.
“Like the bond shared between the Queen and Princess Margaret, they are genuinely best friends who understand each other and who Catherine can trust implicitly,” they said.
“And like Princess Margaret,” they added, “Pippa is the more outgoing of the two sisters. But that only adds to her ability to support her sister in her royal role.”
