Inside Pippa Middleton's Rumored Feud With Her Sister-In-Law

Are Pippa Middleton and her sister-in-law Vogue Williams beefing? Aside from marrying brothers — Middleton to her hedge fund manager husband James Matthews, and Williams to James' younger brother and Middleton's brother-in-law, reality star Spencer Matthews — the two women couldn't be more opposite. "She and Pippa are very different, as are James and Spencer. You can't help but wonder what conversations go on between Pippa and her family about Vogue," an associate of Williams told the Daily Mail. Meanwhile, an unnamed friend of Williams told the British tabloid, "If you were Pippa, you'd think Vogue was a bit tacky." (Sheesh. We'll file that one under the shadiest details that have surfaced about Middleton.) 

Alas, it's rumored that the ladies aren't just light years apart in terms of personality and style but are actually feuding. While both Pippa and Williams often visit Eden Rock, the luxury resort their in-laws own in St. Barts, with their husbands and young children in tow, they almost always go at different times. In fact, as of this writing, the last time both families were spotted soaking up the St. Barts sun together was 2019. According to one expert we spoke with, this speaks volumes about what's really going on inside the ladies' purported feud. "From family functions and the opportunity to enjoy making memories together, everything can be disrupted when there are two people who simply can't get along," professional marriage counselor and CEO and founder of The Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh, Stephanie Wijkstrom, MS, LPC, NBCC explained.

According to Stephanie Wijkstrom, Pippa Middleton and Vogue Williams' separate family vacations to visit their in-laws in St. Barts might be a telltale sign that something really is amiss between the sisters-in-law. In turn, this can wreak havoc on the entire family unit, not just the ones who are at odds with one another. "It can be challenging for family members to be caught in the middle of loyalty vines and conflict because they are trying to get along with two people who are at odds with each other," the professional marriage counselor explained. "It can create stress and tension, and either anxiety or depression for other family members. This is even more true when small children are put in the middle of family conflicts." Can someone do a welfare check on Jane Matthews, the mother-in-law and matriarch of the Matthews family? No doubt, she is probably working overtime to keep both of her daughters-in-law happy. 

Wijkstrom advises that the best way to behave in a situation with family members you don't necessarily jive with is to behave as if it were a professional setting. "It's often helpful to think about how we might interact in a setting with a customer or a colleague with whom we must interact in order to do a job. Try thinking of difficult family members in the same way." Still, Wijkstrom acknowledges there is no coming back from certain situations. "Depending on the nature of the disagreement, if a family member has been abusive, it may not be possible to maintain some civility." Here's to hoping that's not the case for Middleton and Williams.