Pippa Accused of ‘Using Royal Proximity’ to Kate to ‘Punish’ Her Neighbors—There’s an ‘Imbalance of Power’
Kate Middleton’s sister, Pippa Middleton, is a pretty famous name in the UK due to her connection to her sister. When Kate and William got married, Pippa was front and center, and the tabloids took notice. And ever since, people have remained interested in the relationship between the two, particularly as both their families have grown.
Now, some disturbing reports have emerged about Pippa Middleton, with people accusing her of using her royal connections and wealth to “punish” her neighbors. RadarOnline is reporting that the youngest sister of the Princess of Wales and her husband, James Matthews, are in the middle of a dispute about a footpath running through their country estate.
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Reportedly, the two blocked access to the path after they moved, saying that continued public use created privacy and security concerns around the property. But the neighbors are fighting back, with the matter now reaching a planning inquiry in Kintbury, West Berkshire.
One local source told the outlet that the couple has used Pippa’s royal associations in their favor. “There’s a deep sense of resentment among some residents who feel this dispute perfectly captures what happens when extremely wealthy outsiders move into rural communities and begin reshaping them around their own priorities,” the source said.
“Around the village, there’s a growing perception that Pippa and James operate with a level of confidence that comes from being connected to the royal circle, and some locals privately feel that creates an imbalance where ordinary residents struggle to have their voices heard on equal terms.”
They also said, “For many people, the argument has become about far more than just a footpath – it’s about class, privilege and whether affluent landowners believe community customs should simply give way to their desire for privacy and control.”
Reportedly, the route had been used for generations without problems. “Villagers feel they are now being shut out of part of the countryside that had always felt accessible to ordinary people, simply because wealthy new owners have decided they no longer want public access nearby.”
“For a lot of residents, this dispute has grown into something much bigger than a disagreement over a single footpath. People see it as part of a wider pattern where affluent estate owners increasingly close off rural land, citing privacy, protection, and security concerns while gradually restricting spaces that local communities historically enjoyed. Some feel social status and royal proximity are being used, whether intentionally or not, to justify turning what once felt communal into something exclusive and controlled.”
Ironically, this comes after reports last year from RadarOnline that things between the sisters had changed as their lives “couldn’t be more different.” According to NewIdea, Kate is reportedly “missing more and more of her old family” because of her royal duties.
“Kate is painfully aware that things have been changing for a while. The pressures of her public role have only increased since Queen Elizabeth passed away, pushing her husband and kids up in the line of succession,” a source told the publication. “The unfortunate collateral of that has been losing the laid-back Middleton family way of things she holds so dear … especially her once incredibly close relationship with her little sister.”
