Photos: Pippa Middleton turns 38 - celebrating a life of luxury, athletics and love

British socialite Pippa Middleton, known especially as the younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, has reached the age of 38. She entered the global spotlights ten years ago as Kate Middleton's maid of honor, and she's been making headlines ever since.

Philippa Charlotte Matthews, commonly known as Pippa Middleton or "Her Royal Hotness," was born on September 6, 1983. She's an author, businesswoman and the mother of two young children.

Pippa Middleton's parents, Carole and Michael, met while working for British Airways.

Apart from Pippa and Kate, there's also a third sibling in the Middleton family: James William Middleton. He's a businessman who founded the personalized gift company 'Boomf' in 2013.

Read more about James Middleton

Some British media refer to the Middleton sisters as the 'Wisteria Sisters.' According to The Daily Mail they owe the nickname to being "highly decorative, terribly fragrant and with a fierce climbing ability." It's a title rooted in sexism and antipathy towards the sisters.

The tabloids say that Kate and Pippa are competitive amongst themselves. In the Daily Mail, childhood friend Emma Sayle recalls that both sisters always wanted to be the thinnest or prettiest of the two.

In 2011, when Kate Middleton and Prince William got married, many eyes turned to Pippa as the maid of honor. She wore a white dress by Alexander McQueen, the same designer as the bride's gown.

After Kate and Prince William's wedding, Pippa was reportedly bullied by media and the public. "I've felt a little publicly harassed," Pippa Middleton said on Today.

Pippa even had her cell phone hacked. According to The Sun, the hacker claimed to have 3,000 photographs of Pippa and demanded £50,000 to keep them from the public. It wasn't long before the police arrested the 35-year-old hacker.

Pippa Middleton is a businesswoman, writer, and philanthropist. Among other things, she founded PXM Enterprises Limited and became the ambassador of the Mary Hare College for Deaf Children in Berkshire.

Pippa is also an editor. She has written articles for The Spectator and a food column in Waitrose Kitchen magazine since 2013. She's also a former editor at Vanity Fair and The Telegraph. Since 2010, Pippa writes for the Middleton family's online business magazine, 'The Party Times'.

Pippa Middleton became an ambassador for the British Heart Foundation in 2014. Two years later, she published a book, 'Heartfelt,' of which the proceeds would go to the Heart Foundation.

Pippa Middleton is in a great physical shape. To achieve this, she spends her time with cardio exercises, strength training, and competitions in cycling, skiing and swimming.

Paparazzi often locate Pippa Middleton running through the streets of London. And when she encounters snow, she goes skiing. In 2009, Pippa started to learn tobogganing.

Pippa participated in Sweden's 47 Mile Swim-Run in 2015. She had to wake up at four in the morning to swim 6.1 miles and run 40.3 miles.

Just like her sister Kate, Pippa Middleton has a huge interest in fashion. This is reflected in her fabulous looks.

See also: Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, two styles.

Pippa has always lived a life of luxury and lovers. She had a series of romances at school, work, and in her circle of high-society friends. Pippa's experiences in a 'castle crew' of rich, aristocratic Britons made her the woman she is today.

In 1987, Carole Middleton opened a store called Party Pieces. It offered accessories and decorations for children's parties. The company was a great success: according to CNN, it earned the family millions. The young Middleton siblings served as models for the store's product catalogue. Pippa Middleton is shown in this picture.

In 1995, the Middleton family moved to Bucklebury. The young Pippa, like her sister Kate, went to the elite St. Andrew's School and the Downe House girls' boarding school. Later, Pippa went to Marlborough College in Wiltshire. She was an exemplary student.

Pippa studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, where she shared the classroom with Dukes and Counts. According to The Telegraph, her group of friends was called the 'castle crew,' because it was made up of renowned noble heirs.

Besides being a good student, Pippa frequented the most elegant nightclubs in the company of young aristocrats. She met JJ Jardine Paterson in college and had a relationship with him from 2004 to 2007. He was a friend of Pippa's roommates Earl George Percy and Ted Innes-Ker.

After JJ, Pippa started dating the heir to Hogwarts Castle: George Percy, the son of the Duke of Northumberland. His family's castle, Alnwick, was used in the Harry Potter saga.

Graduating in 2008, Pippa started working at Table Talk, a company that organized events and parties. It was closely linked to the business of the Middletons (Party Pieces). Around this time, she had a relationship with Simon Youngman, another rich heir.

In 2008, Pippa Middleton was named 'Singleton Society Number 1' by Tatler magazine. She left James Blunt and Princess Eugenie behind her. It was three years before her sister's wedding to the Duke of Cambridge.

Pippa had a relationship with Billy More Nisbett for a while. They didn't last long as a couple, but they remained friends. The next lover in her dating story was Alex Spencer Churchill. They had a relationship from 2009 to 2010.

In 2010, Pippa had a love affair with Alex Loudon, a former cricket player. He was Pippa's date to her sister's royal wedding. The relationship lasted until the summer of 2011.

To overcome the breakup with Alex Loudon, Pippa spent the weekend at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. There she met Charlie Gilkes.

In April 2012, Time magazine included Pippa Middleton in the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World.

In the same year, Pippa published her book 'Celebrate: A Year of British Festivities for Families and Friends.' It contains tips on how to celebrate English-style parties.

Also in 2012, Pippa met the former racer and hedge fund manager James Matthew. Although he would eventually become her husband, their relationship did not last long at that time.

The man coming between Pippa and James was Nico Jackson. They began dating in 2012 and lasted until 2015. When they broke up, a source close to the Middletons told Grazia magazine that "Pippa did not seem ready to settle down, and she wasn't sure if Nico was the right man to marry."

When Nico and Pippa broke up in 2015, sources close to the socialite whispered that she was getting close to her ex James Matthews again. And yes, in the end she did settle down with him. In 2016, the couple got engaged.

After her sister's wedding in 2011, it was Pippa's turn to get married on May 20, 2017.

James Matthews is heir to the Scottish feudal title of Glen Affric. That's why Pippa received the title of Lady Glen Affric.

In 2018 there were rumours that Pippa was pregnant. They weren't confirmed until Pippa herself published an article in Waitrose Weekend magazine... titled: 'Exercising during pregnancy.'

Pippa and James's first son was born on October 15, 2018. His name was Arthur Michael William Matthews.

In 2021, Pippa Middleton became the happy (though perhaps tired sometimes!) mum of baby girl. Her daughter Grace Elizabeth Jane Matthews was born in the spring of that year. With baby Grace and the toddler Arthur, she undoubtedly has a handful!

It took Pippa Middleton a series of romances to find her soulmate. But with an education like hers, it was bound to be someone from the upper class of British society.

Read more: Meghan Markle's life before the Royal Family