Will Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton sit out on sister Pippa's wedding to James Matthews?

Ever since Pippa Middleton got engaged to hedge fund millionaire James Matthews, rumours have been rife that her sister Kate Middleton might not be a part of the wedding next year. Kate is delighted that Pippa and Matthews are engaged, but she might not be Pippa's matron of honour.

According to veteran royal author Judy Wade, Kate's presence might result in her upstaging her sister on her big day. "Kate would upstage her sister. It's a tricky situation for Pippa. She would want her sister by her side, as who else would she trust to make things go well?" Wade was quoted as saying by People. "But if your sister is a future Queen, she is going to upstage the bride and draw attention. Kate would want to be in the background as much as possible."

Pippa and Matthews got engaged on Sunday, July 17 and they plan to marry next year. Matthews, who has been dating Pippa for about a year, proposed with a 3-carat Art Deco-style engagement ring while the duo was on vacation in the Lake District of northwest England. He had earlier asked her father for her hand in marriage.

"James is a traditionalist and very much wanted to do things properly. That meant getting his future father in law's consent," a friend of the couple was quoted as saying by The Daily Mail. Another family friend revealed: "Mike and Carole are very happy. They like James and they are sure he will make Pippa very happy."

It has been less than a year since Pippa and Matthews started dating. Although they briefly dated in 2012, they broke up shortly and the royal sister-in-law went on to date Nico Jackson for three years.