Pippa Middleton to Join Thames Pageant

It seems unlikely she wil upstage her sister this time, but news has emerged that Pippa Middleton will be joining the Royal Family on the river Thames for the Diamond Jubilee pageant, sailing, along with her parents and brother James, on the Elizabethan, an 1890s paddle steamer.

Kate and William will be accompanying the Queen on the Spirit of Chartwell, the Royal barge, along with senior members of the Royal family including Prince Charles and Camilla.

Charles has arranged for his former valet Michael Fawcett - the man once charged with loading toothpaste onto the royal toothbrush - to  personally attend to the Middletons to ensure their day runs smoothly, the Daily Mail reports.

“Michael and Carole’s inclusion on the Elizabethan has only just emerged and has taken a lot of people by surprise, but the Queen is incredibly supportive of the Duchess and her family," a source told the paper. “Boats travelling in the Royal Squadron are solely reserved for special guests of the Queen, which demonstrates just how far the Middletons have come.”

The Elizabethan, a replica 1890s Mississippi paddle steamer, is part of the Royal Squadron and will sail behind the Queen’s boat in the procession.