Kate Middleton has enough on her plate with just days to go before giving birth to her first baby to worry about her little sister Pippa.
Reports from the UK say the Duchess of Cambridge has asked her sister to scale back on her public appearances, as she is opening herself and the family up to too much criticism.
The report comes as Pippa Middleton just appeared at Sir David Frost’s annual summer party, where she was seen with guests like Stephen Fry and Sir Elton John. Pippa has also been writing for The Spectator , serves as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair , and writes a monthly column in Waitrose Food Illustrated .
But if it were up to Kate Middleton, Pippa wouldn’t be using her status as a famous sibling to boost her social status.
“Kate and William didn’t want her to write her party planning book Celebrate, let alone a regular column in various magazines,” a source told the Daily Mail . “They have spoken to her about this.”
Pippa seems to have responded to her sister’s request, cutting back on public appearances, especially clothing launches.
Both Kate Middleton and Prince William have seen the dark side of what constant attention can bring. Last summer, the royal family was forced into a scandal when a photographer secretly took pictures of Kate sunbathing topless. And William’s mother, Princess Diana, was hounded by paparazzi throughout her life, with her death coming as her driver raced to escape a photographer.
Kate also has more pressing matters to attend to. In just days she will give birth to her first child , and Kate and William have been busy getting prepared. They have made birth plans, built a $1.5 million upgrade to their living quarters, and cut back on their public appearances .
Kate Middleton also may be reining in Pippa because she knows the royal baby will bring a firestorm of media attention to the family. Already fans in the UK and throughout the world are predicting the baby’s name and preparing parties for the birth, with one research firm estimating the baby will bring a $400 million impact to the British economy.