Pippa Middleton is to part with Bucklebury Farm Park, the Berkshire attraction she bought with her husband James Matthews in a bid to build a business away from the glare surrounding her sister, Catherine, Princess of Wales.
The sale comes as Middleton turns 43 on Sunday, bringing to an end one of her most ambitious ventures since she shot to international prominence as maid of honour at the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate in 2011.
Middleton and Matthews acquired the 72-acre farm park in 2021 for about £1.3 million, alongside businessman James Murray. The site, close to the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, includes a deer park, farm animals, a café, play areas and glamping accommodation.
A representative for the couple has confirmed that they are no longer the owners. The attraction is understood to remain open to visitors under new ownership.
Accounts for Bucklebury Farm Limited showed the business had accumulated debt of £807,543 by the end of 2025, after suffering losses running into six figures each year, according to reports. Companies House records show that Mr Matthews ceased to be a director and person with significant control in January this year.
The venture had been presented as a family-friendly enterprise rooted in the local community, but its future became increasingly uncertain. Plans to develop a nursery for children aged between nine months and five years were submitted in an effort to strengthen the business and address a shortage of early-years places in West Berkshire.
The proposal was rejected after concerns including highways and access issues. A planning submission argued that the nursery was “essential to securing the farm’s future”, while the wider scheme also included facilities intended to support the attraction’s educational and recreational role.
The farm park was not Middleton’s first attempt to establish a career in her own right. She worked in public relations and events before publishing Celebrate in 2012, a party-planning book which received a reported £400,000 advance but was met with mixed reviews.
She later wrote for newspapers and magazines and published Heartfelt, a book of recipes and family memories, with proceeds supporting the British Heart Foundation. Her public profile has since diminished, with Middleton largely concentrating on family life with Matthews and their three children.
She has nevertheless continued to make occasional appearances, including a visit to Wimbledon with her mother, Carole Middleton, in July. Her latest business setback leaves the farm park project as another chapter in a career that has struggled to escape the shadow of the future Queen.
