Kate Middleton’s family links to Hong Kong: the Princess of Wales’ brother James came to expand his marshmallow business, while her sister Pippa once dated local banking heir JJ Jardine-Paterson
- James Middleton lived in Hong Kong back in 2016 to expand his marshmallow business in the city, while his sister Pippa once dated an heir to the Jardine Matheson fortune
- Pippa’s former beau hails from a dynasty that runs Wellcome, Market Place, Mandarin Oriental and Hongkong Land, and they met while she was studying at Edinburgh University
Ever thought you’d see James Middleton, Kate Middleton’s younger brother, strolling the streets of Central, eating street food in Mong Kok, and dancing the night away in SoHo?
OK, there’s no proof he did those exact things, but he did live in Hong Kong for some time – and those are just the basics for any first-timer moving to the city, so we like to picture it all the same.
Yup. The Princess of Wales’ entrepreneurial bro once lived in the fragrant harbour, back in 2016.
But it’s not just James who has links to the city. Pippa, the middle Middleton child, also has a connection to Hong Kong. Kate’s sister, who went viral for her show-stopping appearance at the royal couple’s 2011 wedding, used to date Jonathan “JJ” Jardine Paterson, an heir to the Jardine Matheson Hong Kong banking fortune, per the Evening Standard.
Here’s a refresher on the two Middletons’ former ties to Hong Kong.
James Middleton’s business move
James moved to Hong Kong in 2016 after splitting from his then-girlfriend, British presenter Donna Air, per Yahoo. He made the big move in an attempt to expand his marshmallow business, Boomf. Middleton, an avid dog lover, brought his cocker spaniel Ella for the three-month stay, according to the source.
For its first appearance in the city, Boomf launched at the inaugural Food Truck Festival at Central’s PMQ, as previously reported. Middleton’s then-business partner Andy Bell stated at the time, “It makes sense for Boomf to launch here,” adding that “Hongkongers are open-minded and fun loving and we’re sure they will get the multisensory delight that is the edible selfie.”
Mahjong marshmallows and more
