Why were Carole and Pippa Middleton at the Royal Wedding in Jordan?

Dignatries, members of Royal Families and aristocrats flocked to Jordan for the Royal Wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and the new Princess Rajwa of Jordan   - but why were Carole and Pippa Middleton at the Royal Wedding?

• The royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif took place on Thursday, June 1, 2023.
• In attendance were a number of celebrities and royals who gathered in the Middle East to celebrate the nuptials. 
• In other royal news, Princess Beatrice's tiara shines at Jordanian royal wedding as she pays tribute to Fergie with rare headpiece.

Royal fans think they spotted Carole Middleton, Pippa Middleton, and her husband James Matthews at the Jordanian royal wedding. While the photos of the Princess of Wales's family members are blurry, fans are certain that the trio was there. So why were Carole and Pippa Middleton at the Royal Wedding?

Well, there are a few different theories. Firstly, some have suggested that they were invited because Michael and Carole are friends with some of the members of the Royal Family of Jordan.

"If she [Carole] and Michael did merit an invitation, it was very kind and clearly the relationship between even the extended families is very close!" said one fan on Twitter.

Another suggested the Middletons were 'personal friends' of the Royal Family of Jordan. "HRH #PrincessCatherine mother Carole and sister Pippa Middleton spotted at the #RoyalWeddingJordan Personal friends of the Jordanian Royal Family, good to see the new generation keeping friendships," said another.

Another Twitter user suggested that actually, the families have become close because they holiday in the same location. "Carole Middleton, James and Pippa Matthews leaving the reception. (You can see them walking in the background) Again, they’re friends with Queen Rania and the Mathews have St Bart’s holiday location #RoyalWeddingJordan," said the fan.

James Matthews, Pippa's husband, is a hedge fund manager, and heir to the Scottish feudal title of Laird of Glen Affric. His father also owns the resort Eden Rock, a luxury resort that is very popular with the rich and famous.

Another fan suggested that Pippa and James may have joined the Prince and Princess of Wales on holiday to Jordan, which is when they could have become friendly with the Royal Family. "James Matthews is behind Pippa. Looks like they've all holidayed there with the Waleses and become friends," said the fan.

When Pippa and Kate were young, the Middleton family relocated from England to Jordan. This took place many decades ago when their father, Michael, was a British Airways manager and was relocated to Amman for work. This could explain why the sisters may have wanted to return to the country together.

The Prince and Princess of Wales took their children to Jordan in 2021 and shared a photo from their trip as a Christmas card. "My guess is that they were intending to invoke Kate's childhood time in Jordan, Will's trip to the country in 2018, and its importance to Christianity," said royal journalist Elizabeth Holmes at the time.