Pippa Middleton dumped for not being 'marriage material'

Pippa Middleton was dumped by her boyfriend Alex Loudon because his family didn't consider her to be "wife material", sources have claimed.

The younger sister of Kate Middleton split with the cricketer this week after an 18-month relationship. Press reports claim that Loudon struggled to cope with her rising status as a sex symbol.

Speaking to The Mail On Sunday, a friend of Pippa claimed that Loudon's affluent parents have never been comfortable with the 28-year-old's "socially ambitious" side.

"Alex's parents were welcoming but they were always somewhat lukewarm about the relationship. They didn't see Pippa as 'wife material'.

"Pippa is very sweet but she is socially ambitious - all her friends are so 'trophy posh' it's ridiculous. They didn't honestly see Alex and Pippa's relationship as a long-term thing.

"[Alex's parents] are very old-fashioned and prefer to keep things low-key. They do not go out of their way to court attention for themselves and they tend to shy away from the media. They're a very "proper" family."

Another insider revealed that the couple, who briefly split in the summer, have been "up and down" since Pippa's headline-grabbing appearance at the royal wedding in April.

"Alex couldn't cope with the star that Pippa had become," they said. "It's sad really because Alex and Pippa get along very well, but they are also very different personalities.

"It has been up and down for a while. It was Alex who called the parting shot and said it was over once and for all last week."