Lady in Red! A Spicy Pippa Middleton (Re-)Bags an Astor for a Dance-Floor Twirl

From Rex/Rex USA.

In a weekly report on London’s regal rumpus, VF.com’s Royal Watcher plucks the best of Old Blighty’s tabloid folly for your crib notes. In today’s edition: Pippa’s scarlet-clad cuckold, Catherine’s hearty hosiery, Harry’s . . . articulated toes.

• We’re seeing more and more and more of Miss Pippa Middleton these days—but is it ever enough? The younger Middleton sister donned a highly revealing crimson Temperley number to the Boodles Boxing Ball at London’s Park Plaza Hotel earlier this month. One set of eyes in particular locked on Pippa, as The Daily Mail snapped her dancing the night away with a mystery man. The Evening Standard later revealed him to be her ex Charlie Astor, who as it happens “appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as the front end of the pantomime horse as it ran 100m in a respectable 13.51 seconds.” Less notably, perhaps, he is the great-grandson of the First Baron Astor of Hever, former owner of The Times. And not only did her boyfriend, Alex Loudon, get to read about it the next day, he was there to witness the cuckold firsthand. With tables costing £1,950 each (about $3,000), it was a night to remember on many fronts: Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were also in attendance (in their typically frumpy form), as was Prince Harry’s former flame Chelsy Davy. Although not present this year, the Duchess of Cambridge has previously attended (though under a humbler rubric).
• In important fashion news, we learned this week that Kate Middleton has been hard at work making flesh-toned tights fashionable, while Prince Harry, who is currently livin’ la vida loca on a helicopter-training course in California, recently picked up a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, the hideous shoes that more resemble washing-up gloves than footwear and are intended to replicate the feel of barefoot running. Apparently he’s trying to keep under the radar while stateside—no doubt these fluorescent eyesores are going to do just the trick.
• Prince William has yet another accolade to add to the list: the esteemed AskMen.com has named him the most influential man of the year. More than 7,000 men aged 18 to 40 responded, but let it be noted that Piers Morgan rates as No. 4 (higher than President Obama, at No. 10), D.J. David Guetta came in second, and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was third.
• While on her current trip to Australia (remember, she’s their queen as well!), Queen Elizabeth was handed a plush puppy by a young supporter. However, the gift did not go over as smoothly as likely intended: what the child had thought to be a stuffed Corgi turned out to be just any old toy mutt. Tut, tut. Better luck next time.