Pippa Middleton Godmother: After Being Snubbed The First Time, Will Duchess Kate’s Sister Be Picked For New Royal Baby?

Pippa Middleton was once considered a distraction to the royal family, but now that Kate Middleton’s younger sister has reined in her attention-hungry ways, there is growing speculation that she will be picked to serve as godmother to the newly born royal baby.

When Duchess Kate and Prince William welcomed their first child, Prince George, it was widely assumed that Pippa would be selected as godmother. But instead, the royal couple bucked tradition of picked European royals and other established power families and went with close friends to be George’s godparents.

The snub wasn’t a surprise to everyone. Claudia Joseph, a royal correspondent and one of Kate’s biographers, said she didn’t expect Pippa or Prince Harry to be picked.

“Pippa is his only aunt and Harry is one of his two uncles so they already have very important roles in his life,” Joseph says.

Others believed that Pippa’s lifestyle was a distraction to the royal family. Reports indicated that Kate even had to ask Pippa to tone down her public appearances amid worries that it was creating too much exposure to the royal family.

While Kate Middleton and Prince William have not yet announced the godparents— or even the baby’s name yet — there has been speculation for months that Pippa Middleton would be picked this time.

Last year, shortly after Duchess Kate announced her pregnancy, the Standard reported as follows.

“Top of the runners and riders this time is, of course, Kate’s sister Pippa. There was huge surprise when she wasn’t among the seven people named as George’s godparents but apparently Kate and William felt that she was already struggling to cope with the media spotlight focused on her since their wedding.”

The report added that both Pippa Middleton and Prince Harry have settled down a lot since George was born, and would make great godparents this time.

“Two years on, and Pippa has emerged older and wiser. Her cookbook may have flopped but she is carving out a career in food writing on a less flamboyant scale. She recently turned 31 and has a long-term, loving boyfriend in City banker Nico Jackson — rumour is that they are on the brink of an engagement announcement. Similarly, William in particular felt that asking his brother Harry to be George’s godfather would leave him open to sanctimonious scandal pieces about his party lifestyle.”

If Pippa Middleton is picked to be the godparent for the new royal baby, the public may have to wait quite a while to find out. After George was born, Duchess Kate and Prince William did not announce his godparents until just before his christening, which came more than two months after he was born.

[Image via Getty Images/Christopher Furlong]