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Update: In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, a friend reports that Pippa Middleton was dumped by Alex Loudon because she was not "wife material." The friend told the Mail: "'Alex's parents were welcoming but they were always somewhat lukewarm about the relationship. They didn't see Pippa as 'wife material'. James and his wife Jane both come from very good families."

Pippa Middleton has reportedly split from her long term boyfriend Alex Loudon.

The Duchess of Cambridge's sister broke up with ex-cricketer Louden, 31, following a series of recent rows, it is understood.

An unnamed source told The Sun that Pippa, 27, whose profile soared following the royal wedding, has sought refuge with her sister after the split.

Pippa reportedly spent the weekend with the royal couple at the Queen's Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire where she has been recovering from the breakup.

The couple's romance seemed stable last month when they were photographed kissing passionately outside a charity boxing function.

But speculation has intensified in the months following the royal wedding that the pair had drifted apart due to the media attention she now enjoys.

Pippa's status as an international sex symbol after walking up the aisle behind the Duchess of Cambridge in a figure-hugging white bridesmaid's dress is thought to have created tension between the pair.

Loudon, now a financier, had been dating Miss Middleton for more than three years.