What did Pippa wear?
The fashion icon changes her outfit 3 times in one venue.
Her big sister has had more than a year to become one of the world’s fashion icons.
So when it came to her big day in the spotlight, perhaps Pippa Middleton thought she had some catching up to do.
The 29-year-old wore no fewer than four outfits for her book launch in London yesterday, altogether costing £2,959 – more than some first-time authors might hope for as an advance.
But then, Miss Middleton – whose advance was said to be an astonishing £400,000 – isn’t any first-time author.
Eight camera crews from around the world were on hand as she launched her party planning guide Celebrate: A Year of British Festivities for Families and Friends at a Fulham book store.
The hostess with the mostess chose a plum-coloured shift from one of sister Kate's favourite designers Roksanda Ilincic to pose for photographers before changing in to an embellished LBD to host a children's Halloween party in the store and finally donning a tweed panelled dress from Stella McCartney as she left the event to continue the celebrations with friends and family.
Earlier she had worn another different outfit for the book signing at Foyles, choosing a futuristic long-sleeved dress featuring an abstract panel.
Earlier this afternoon Pippa tried to sneak in to the book store via the back entrance, but her famous curves gave the game away and photographers snapped her disappearing in to Daunt books in the elegant knee-length shift, which she teamed with patent stiletto shoes and a power blow-dry to rival sister Kate's glosy mane.
After posing for photographers with her book Pippa changed in to a little black dress featuring a sparkling green pattern to play with the children who were attending her Halloween party.
And then there was another quick change as she pulled on a sleeveless tweed dress from British designer Stella McCartney featuring slimming optical illusion panels on the back.
Bonfire night, barbecues and children's parties are all covered in the 417 page entertaining 'bible'.
Reviews so far have been mixed with some critics slamming Pippa for cashing in on her royal connections to make money out of stating the obvious (there are tips on how to make a cup of tea) but retail experts predict that it will be a Christmas best-seller.
Writing in the book she acknowledges the effect her sister the Duchess of Cambridge’s fame will have on sales, saying: ‘I know many of you will pick up the book out of nothing more than curiosity.
‘[But] I can assure you that it feels even stranger to me than it probably does to you to have seen so much written about me when I have done so little to paint a picture of myself.
'This is my first chance to do that and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
'The book is designed to be a comprehensive guide to home entertaining, based on my experience in my family’s business Party Pieces and work for London-based events company Table Talk.’
Although her royal relatives are not referred to by name in the book, Kate is frequently mentioned as Pippa recalls some of her happiest childhood memories, such as hugely competitive family Easter egg hunts and bringing their parents breakfast in bed.
'I have funny memories of creeping up the stairs with my brother and sister, carrying a breakfast tray for our parents as a surprise treat: desperately trying not to spill the tea and orange juice or knock over the vase of flowers, stifling our giggles so that they couldn't hear us coming,' she writes.
Tips from party queen Pippa include how to throwing the perfecting Highland tea and rustling up a quick 'venison and beetroot stew'.
One of the book's more eye-catching chapters is dedicated to breakfast which, Pippa says helpfully, can be 'anything from a simple pot of tea with a few digestive biscuits' to a fully laden tray.
For a special breakfast she advises decanting milk into a jug rather than serving it in a carton. She also suggesting serving a boiled with soldiers liberally spread with smoked mackerel or trout pate and includes recipes for each
There is also a segment dedicated on how to make a cup of tea or roast a chicken as well as rustle up some remarkably pretty home-made Christmas decorations or some haggis and filo parcels for Burns Night.
'It is a useful and practical journey into British-themed occasions and I hope it offers welcome inspiration and ideas, most of which needn't leave you alarmingly out of pocket.
'Entertaining on any scale can be stressful and daunting so this is all about finding ways to manage and enjoy the process.
‘I hope you will see this as a feel-good book with ideas to look forward to each month, providing threads of lasting, happy memories, be it around a table lit with candles in winter, outside on a rug in summer or in the autumn, perched on a leaf-covered bench, hot drink in hand.’
Louise Moore, Managing Director of Michael Joseph the publishers who reportedly paid £400,000 for the rights to the guide said: ‘Pippa Middleton's ‘Celebrate’ is a truly inspiring treasure trove of fun ideas and creative suggestions for key celebrations throughout the year.
'We are delighted to be her publishers and to have worked with her on this milestone publication.’
Across the city, also in purple, Queen Elizabeth was attending a very different kind of event on the South Bank as she marked the recent transformation of the Jubilee Gardens which was completed 35 years after they were first created in 1977 to celebrate the Queen's silver jubilee.
She was also given a tour of the British Film Institute (BFI) and learned about a new computer archive system for visitors to look up films and newsreels as she watched old movies of her as a young mother.
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