Pippa Middleton's 'Billionaire Party' For Her Older Husband Had Locals Rolling Their Eyes

Pippa Middleton's husband, James Matthews, turned 50 in September 2025, and she just had to go all in for his milestone birthday — perhaps, too much so, if some of her neighbors are to be believed. Kate Middleton's younger sister reportedly arranged for a World War II fighter plane to fly over their Georgian mansion on their 145-acre estate in quiet West Berkshire, about 50 miles west of London. Villagers were upset that the roar of the engine terrified their pets.

Unfortunately, the afternoon Spitfire show was just the beginning. Pippa and company are said to have partied well into the night, disrupting the neighbors' rest with blaring music. "There are a lot of very nice people who have a lot of money, but this is about entitlement. I'm a night owl and I do like parties but I'm also aware of others," one neighbor told the Daily Mail, noting the music went on until 1:30 a.m. "They could easily have had a silent disco." The party's theme was race cars, a supposed nod to Matthews' racing days.

Kate and Prince William were said to have been in attendance, in addition to former Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell and her husband Christian Horner, the former boss of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team. While disappointing, neighbors weren't surprised at Pippa's way of showing off her lavish life. "I thought this might happen when Pippa moved in. People with money," one local said. Pippa and Matthews already weren't the village's favorite neighbors, and this might have cemented their fate within the community.

Pippa Middleton and James Matthews expanded the list of the most expensive things they own in 2022, when they acquired the £15million country estate. But it didn't take them long to upset the villagers. In October 2024, they made the controversial decision to close off a popular footpath that, despite being on their private property, had been used by locals for many years. "I like to walk, and I don't see why I can't walk there. I have been walking along there for 50 years," one local told the Daily Mail.

Before Middleton and Matthews, the property belonged to British design magnate Terence Conran, who died in 2020. "When Sir Terence had it, he had no objections," the local continued. Villagers seemed particularly offended at the many warning signs Middleton and Matthews put up on the gate, with many objecting to being deemed trespassers. "With all the notices stuck up, it feels like us and them," the local added.

Middleton and Matthews' decision came about a year and a half after police investigated an accident involving a teenage boy and a car on their property, which the couple denied ever happened. However, they hinted at having issues with people wandering off the popular footpath. "There was an issue with trespassers at the property, who left a designated footpath, and were trespassing on private property," a representative told The U.K. Sun in February 2023. This might explain their decision, but it clearly wasn't a good enough reason for the locals.