Pippa Middleton dumped by Alex Loudon: His family says 'she isn't wife material'
Sweet...just not marriage material: The Mail on Sunday has learnt it was Alex Loudon who dumped Pippa
She is one of the most desirable women in the world, the beautiful younger sister of the future Queen of England with an appealingly mischievous glint in her eye.
So when it was reported last week that Pippa Middleton had split from her boyfriend, Alex Loudon, it was naturally assumed it was Pippa who called time on their relationship. After all, she has no shortage of suitors.
Yet, in news that will surely astonish starry-eyed bachelors everywhere, The Mail on Sunday has learned it was in fact Alex who, after one-and-a-half years together, decided to end things.
According to a friend of both Alex and Pippa, the 31-year-old former England cricketer could no longer cope with the circus that accompanies his girlfriend everywhere she goes.
The friend said: The plain truth is Alex adored Pippa but he couldnt stand the circus that now surrounds her. Nothing is straightforward anymore.
Inordinately private, with impeccable manners, the Old Etonian simply hated the attention ... attention that Pippa appears to rather enjoy.
Another family friend said: Pippa sees the connection with the Royal Family as a golden opportunity but she knows she cannot afford to look vulgar.
She now gets invited to every show in town, every door is open to her but Alex hates parties. He loves his cricket and has a very close-knit circle of Old Etonian friends. Alex comes from a very well-to-do and discre! et famil y who do not relish the spotlight.
He hated the fact they were followed by paparazzi and he avoided going out because of it. Alex is very strait-laced. He loves his family and his friends and has no time for celebrity.
But that is what Pippa has now become. And her whirl of society balls and Tatler magazine covers is a world away from the social life of the Loudons, a family which comes from a line of baronets, admirals and statesmen.
Alexs father, James, is a successful financier and former High Sheriff of Kent. Chairman of Caledonia Investments in London, he is also deputy chairman of the governors of the University of Greenwich and a trustee of the Canterbury Cathedral Trust.
Last night a member of Pippas circle said her friends were not surprised the courtship had come to an end.
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The friend said: Alexs parents were welcoming but they were always somewhat lukewarm about the relationship. They didnt see Pippa as wife material. James and his wife Jane both come from very good families.
Pippa is very sweet but she is socially ambitious all her friends are so trophy posh its ridiculous. They didnt honestly see Alex and Pippas relationship as a long-term thing.
James and Jane a! re very old-fashioned and prefer to keep things low-key.
'Alex and his family don't like the circus': According to a friend of both Pippa and Alex, pictured here in June, the former cricketer could not cope with the celebrity which followed his former girlfriend
They do not go out of their way to court attention for themselves and they tend to shy away from the media even when James was High Sheriff he took on the roles and responsibilities but didnt attempt to promote himself. Theyre a very proper family.
Alexs grandfather Francis, a barrister, married Lady Prudence Jellicoe, daughter of Admiral Sir John Henry Rushworth Jellicoe, the first Earl of Jellicoe.
Lady Prudence was an indefatigable early champion of single mothers, serving as the chairman of the National Council For The Unmarried Mother And Her Child from 1958 to 1968.
Lord Jellicoe was the admiral who commanded the Royal Navys Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in the First World War and became the second Governor-General of New Zealand.
'Lukewarm': Loudon's parents James and Jane Loudon didn't see Pippa as wife material for their son
He is buried at St Pauls Cathedral. He married Florence Cayzer, sister of the 1st Baron Rotherwick, the British shipping magnate and Conservative politician.
The family estate, Olantigh Towers, was bought by Francis in 1935. Just outside the Kent! village of Wye, the mile-long drive meanders through landscaped gardens while prized Sussex cattle roam 20 acres of surrounding farmland.
The River Stour runs through the grounds, which include stable blocks and an ornamental footbridge.
Each summer the Loudons open the gardens to the public in aid of charity. Alex and his sister Antonia, 33, and brother Hugo, 32, are always in attendance.
Olantigh Towers: Alex Loudon's parents estate, they open it to the public every summer and are known in the Kent community for their dedication to public service
One visitor said: They have taught their children to be committed to social responsibility and education.
James and Jane are both active in the community and particularly so with their philanthropic ventures and public service.
They dont go out of their way to publicise their charitable work, though James is a huge supporter of a charity that cares for children who have suffered cruelty and neglect and he is also very supportive of the Air Ambulance service.
The atmosphere at their home is very relaxed, its not formal. Jane takes a keen interest in the garden and her home while James is a huge golf fan. Alex and Hugo are incredibly charming. They are engaging but they dont like to be the centre of attention.
Centre of attention: Pippa is swept off her feet by Charlie Astor at the Boodles Boxing ball, Loudo! n was sa id to be less than impressed
In contrast to the newly wealthy Middletons, the Loudons are old money and pride themselves on remaining consistently discreet. So tensions were inevitable from the moment Pippas pert posterior catapulted her on to the world stage.
When she and Alex first met through mutual friends, they were still enjoying the freedom of their post university years Alex studied at Durham, Pippa in Edinburgh.
Now their lives are very different. Alex is carving out a serious career, working at the brewing giant SAB Miller as a corporate finance and development analyst. Pippa, meanwhile, flits between her job as a party planner at caterers Table Talk and working on the newsletter for her parents company, Party Pieces.
Happier times: Pippa Middleton and boyfriend Alex Loudon had dismissed split rumours earlier this year, she is said to be devastated over their break-up
The couples mutual friend said: Alex couldnt cope with the star that Pippa had become. Its sad really because Alex and Pippa get along very well, but they are also very different personalities.
It has been up and down for a while. It was Alex who called the parting shot and said it was over once and for all last week.
Pippa is apparently devastated. Only two months ago the couple were celebrating her 28th birthday and one of Alexs presents to her was a set of keys to his Fulham home. Although the couple didnt live together, Pippa was staying with Alex at least three nights a week.
The friend said: This has come as a big shock for Pippa. She was over the moon when he gave her a set of keys to his place and she was talking about moving in together. She was in this for the long term.
Different lives: After this picture was beamed across the globe Pippa's life changed and friends have said Alex couldn't cope with the star she had become
They have had a few problems but she was not expecting them to break up and she is heartbroken.
Kate has been comforting her but she is also upset because she liked Alex. All the Middletons did, they adored him.
But friends note that it has become increasingly difficult for Alex.
And they say he was less than impressed by Pippas behaviour at the Boodles Boxing Ball last month when she took to the dancefloor with another Old Etonian, Charlie Sharky Astor, great grandson of the first Baron Astor of Hever.
One friend who was there said: People were genuinely surprised to see Pippa letting her hair down on the dancefloor with Charlie.
She seemed to be revelling in his company and while she was enjoying herself on the dancefloor, Alex stayed at the table. It was awkward.
Different folks: Alex Loudon's parents are very different from 'new money' Michael and Carole Middleton (pictured here with Pippa and Alex Wimbledon earlier this year)
To make matters worse, photographs of Sharky and Pippa, in slinky satin red dress, appeared in all the newspapers. And therein lies the problem.
The friend said: Alex never wants to be the centre of attention. When they got together, Pippa was a nice girl whose sister was going out with Prince William. That wouldnt phase him, William was his friend at school.
Al ex was always the one in control. Now hes seen as little more than Pippas appendage and really, what man could cope with that?
While Alex is said to be looking forward to life away from the circus, Palace officials are said to be worried about Pippas public persona.
Grin and bear it: Friends of Pippa said it won't be long before she has pieced herself back together as she is known as 'tough and focused'
One insider said: There is quiet concern within the Royal household that Pippa has no real job. The photographs of Pippa on the dance floor were something that Palace officials would rather avoid.
There has been some suggestion that Kate might utilise Pippa in a lady-in-waiting role, or at least a more up-to-date version of it. It would make sense with William going to the Falklands.
Last week Pippa was being comforted by her family but according to one friend it wont be long before she picks herself up.
The friend said: When Kate and William separated in 2007, Kate employed the age-old tactic of showing her man what he was missing. She put on a big smile, said yes to every invitation and the hemlines on her skirts raised a good few inches. Pippa will do the same.
She is utterly determined, whether it is a marathon, a game of tennis or bagging the best titled boy at a party. She is tough and focused.
In a week or two she will be sparkling at some high-end event, flashbulbs a go go, because that is what the Middleton girls are expected to do. The Middleton mantra is grin and bear it. Theres no puffy eyes or hiding behind closed doors, at least not for too long.
Whether the strategy will work for Pippa in the same way it worked for Kate, however, remai! ns to be seen.
Additional reporting: Siobhan McFadyen
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