Who Is James Matthews, Pippa Middleton's Alleged Fiancé? He's One Lucky Guy

Royal Family aficionados, rejoice! Pippa Middleton is reportedly engaged. The headline-grabbing Middleton first captivated the public at the wedding of her sister Kate and Prince William. And she'll surely be even lovelier when she ties the knot with her significant other. But who is Middleton's alleged fiancé, James Matthews?

According to the Daily Mail, Matthews, age 40, is a hedge fund manager. He and Middleton were first linked back in 2012, but only briefly. She went on to date financier Nico Jackson for three years, but after the couple split, she and Matthews rekindled their earlier romance, and this time, it had staying power. Though they've been together officially for under a year this time, according to the same Daily Mail article, Matthews went about proposing to Middleton in a traditional way. Columnist Richard Kay writes,

Indeed I can reveal that Matthews, 40, asked Pippa’s father for permission for his daughter’s hand before popping the question. ‘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 tells me.

Middleton allegedly did not know that the proposal, which happened while the couple vacationed in the Lake District, was coming, but she very enthusiastically accepted it.

Two things in particular make Matthews an interesting choice for Middleton. First of all, he's no stranger to fame. His brother, Spencer, is a reality television star best known for the show Made in Chelsea, which chronicles the lives of various well-off and glamorous young people in London, and has made tabloid headlines for his steroid addiction and tumultuous love life. Perhaps Matthews and Middleton bonded over their famous siblings, and certainly both know what it's like to be in the limelight.

Secondly, like Middleton, Matthews also has a parent of, as the Daily Mail put it, "humble origin." Middleton's mother started off as a flight attendant, while Matthews' father began as a mechanic, before working his way up to stratospheric wealth in the auto business. Middleton seemed before now to have mostly dated men from old money families, so perhaps Matthews is refreshingly relatable for her.

One final fun factoid from the Daily Mail article is that Matthews nearly became a professional race car driver before deciding to pursue finance instead.

It sounds like he and Middleton make a lovely pair. And if the news turns out to be true, it will be lots of fun watching their sure-to-be-spectacular wedding! Congrats to the both of them.