Pippa Middleton and boyfriend Alex Loudon 'split after blazing rows'
By Lucy Buckland
Last updated at 3:14 PM on 11th November 2011
Pippa Middleton is said to have split from her long term boyfriend ex-cricketer Alex Loudon.
Friends said the 27-year-old Royal bridesmaid and her 31-year-old beau finally called time on their three-year relationship after a string of arguments.
A source told The Sun that Pippa, whose profile sky-rocketed after the Royal Wedding, had sought refuge with her sister after the split.
All smiles: The couple looked closer than ever at The Boodles Boxing Charity Ball in July
The unnamed friend told the paper: 'Pippa tried to get over the split by spending last weekend with Wills and Kate at Balmoral.
'She and Alex split briefly in the summer — but this time it's over. They are barely speaking.'
Happier times: Pippa Middleton and Alex Loudon, pictured here in June, are believed to have split after a string of blazing rows
Still going strong: Pippa Middleton and boyfriend Alex Loudon had dismissed split rumours earlier this year
But friends said this time their separation is for good after a series of rows, one which erupted at an acquaintance's wedding.
It is believed Loudon, a city banker, had found it difficult to deal with Pippa's sudden fame as a sex symbol.
While other friends revealed their relationship started crumbling after the Royal Wedding in April.
High profile: Friends said Pippa's new status as a sex symbol made Alex uncomfortable
A source told the tabloid: 'It was said after the wedding that Alex was jealous of Pippa flirting with Prince Harry. But the truth is she and Harry are just mates.'In the weeks after her sister got married Pippa's derrière became so popular it was even given its own Facebook page and social networking site Twitter went crazy with people calling the party planner 'Her Royal Hotness', a nickname first used in Royal Wedding reports filed by the Daily Mail's Catherine Ostler.
Sisterly comfort: Pippa is believed to have sought solace with her sister the Duchess of Cambridge (seen here at a wedding in June)
Although the pair's relationship had been known to friends as volatile in recent months it hadn't always been the case with rumours the former England cricketer was apparently preparing to pop the question surfacing just weeks ago.
The 31-year-old had apparently asked one of his friends to look for engagement rings for him, out in the Cotswolds.
And Loudon had reportedly put a lot of thought into how to keep the proposal quiet, although it turns out it any careful preparations may be in vain.
The MailOnline contacted Pippa Middleton for a comment but she was unavailable.
One of the family: The parents of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Michael and Carole Middleton sit with her sister Pippa and boyfriend Alex at Wimbledon earlier this year
