Party Pippa’s R5m book deal

There’s no doubt that Pippa Middleton likes a party - after all, she helped to organise the Royal Wedding reception.

And now the Duchess of Cambridge’s little sister is capitalising on her hostess skills - and her new-found celebrity - with a £400,000 book deal.

The 28-year-old is said to have accepted the offer from publisher Michael Joseph, a division of Penguin, to write a book about being the perfect party hostess.

Miss Middleton already writes an online magazine for her parents’ Party Pieces firm, and posed for the photographs to promote it two years ago.

Since then her role as bridesmaid at her sister’s wedding has catapaulted her to fame, and she was reportedly the subject of a fierce bidding war between some of the country’s leading publishing houses.

Inevitably, the deal is likely to attract criticism that she is cashing in on her royal connections - particularly as she is set to make thousands more from lucrative spin-offs after it is published next Christmas.

St James[‘s Palace yesterday declined to comment. - Daily Mail