Kate & Pippa Middleton Earned This Spicy Nickname During Brief Breakup From Prince William

Before they were refined by the rigid rules of royalty and strict standards of the socialite class, Kate and Pippa Middleton were regular college girls. The sisters weren't on the public's radar until Kate met Prince William in 2001 and began dating him soon after. Kate and William tied the knot in 2011 and welcomed three children by 2025, but their story faced a little blip in 2007 when Prince William reportedly broke up with Kate ... over the phone. 

During this three-month separation, Kate and Pippa took it upon themselves to show William just what he was missing. They quickly filled their free time (and the tabloids) with unqueenly and unrefined moments that put both Pippa's and Kate's innocent reputations to shame.

Yes, before their pristine images and posh lifestyles, Kate and Pippa were considered a scandalous pair. In fact, Pippa and Kate had quite the party girl personas following their graduation from university. Stepping out in small slinky outfits and partying in public, soon the wild duo earned the nickname "Sizzler Sisters" in the press. Author Robert Jobson referred to Kate's new look in his biography of the Princess of Wales, writing "Gone were the frumpy tweeds as she stepped out in a slinky off-the-shoulder top and silky skirt, with a bare midriff and caramel tan" (via The Sun).

Between Pippa Middleton's socialite status and Kate Middleton's involvement with Prince William, the sisters' party days were highly publicized. Media outlets were reporting on the young women's latest party outfits and exclusive club stops. From the media's perspective, Kate was taking William's breakup quite well. She earned a higher status and had been accepted into a new socialite world that gave her access to clubs, parties, and celebrity. 

The sisters' lively public image coined the pair a second nickname from the media (and Prince William's friends): the "Wisteria Sisters". The name was a nasty jab that described the sisters as "highly decorative, terribly fragrant, and with a ferocious ability to climb" (via Daily Mail). The snobby criticism has since been silenced by Kate's new title as Princess of Wales, wife of Prince William, and future queen of England.  

Unlike the nicknames, the behaviors didn't entirely go away. It seems you can take the girl out of the party, but not the party out of the girl. Even in 2025, Pippa has been reported to host quite the wild shindig, as complaints from neighbors piled in after a September soiree held at her residence in Berkshire. And it must have been a good time, because Kate was in attendance as well.