Positively Pippa!

Pippa Middleton Theory: The paparazzi are pleased as punch to have a Pippa. Pippa saved their day. Pippa is cute, single, and rich. BUT, most importantly, she allows the paparazzi to somehow give us our Royal Fix without making them look or feel like scum. In the 2+ months since the royal wedding, I have been presented with about 500 pictures of "Her Royal Hotness" doing all sorts of stuff. Shopping, running, flirting, etc. etc. There has been ONE picture of Kate grocery shopping. ONE. The rest of the Dutchess of Cambridge photos have been at official duty functions were cameras are allowed and expected.

I think the paparazzi look at Kate and see the Diana. Oh Princess Diana, the charitable goddess in iconic clothing whose death is commonly viewed as a product of the shutterbugs and gossip columnists. They look at Kate and see Diana's very own wedding ring, they see her on the arm of Diana's son who had to bid an unfair and untimely goodbye to his doting mother. And either the guilt or the fear of looking wretched and cruel prods them to leave her alone. Maybe Kate hasn't really been out and about. Maybe I just haven't caught the pictures (although that's unlikely. I have one baby, am a stay-at-home-mom, cruise the internet while I nurse, and use google reader). But anyway, Pippa fills this guilt-free photo target quite nicely. Closely connected to the Royals, but no whisps of Diana's ghost following Pippa and her skinny jeans around. 3 Cheers for Pippa.

P.S. I predict that the name Phillipa is about to beat out Isabella for most common girl name of 2011 and 2012.