Pippa Middleton's Father-In-Law Has Been Charged For Allegedly Raping A Minor

The Telegraph reported that Pippa Middleton's father-in-law David Matthews is being investigated over allegations that he raped a minor. David, whose son James is married to Pippa, Kate Middleton's sister, said through a spokesperson that he "categorically denies the allegation and unequivocally contests the untrue and scandalous accusation." Nevertheless, a French magistrate has placed David under formal investigation, which could ultimately result in him being placed on trial.

David was reportedly arrested at the Paris Orly airport on Tuesday and questioned by police on two counts of raping a minor, according to 9 News. Police released him after 48 hours but placed him under "judicial control," meaning that there are certain conditions on what he is and isn't allowed to do. Although the nature of those limitations is unclear, a source told the Telegraph that there are no restrictions on "his freedom of movement."

A former car mechanic and door-to-door salesman, David eventually became a successful race car driver, and later made millions through the sale of his car dealership. The 74-year-old now owns the Eden Rock hotel on the Caribbean island of St Barths, an overseas territory of France. One of the two alleged incidents is said to have taken place somewhere on St. Barths in 1998, according to Page Six, while the other reportedly took place in Paris the next year. No further information about either alleged incident has been reported.

“Following his arrest, the Paris public prosecutor’s office opened a judicial investigation, overlooked by an examining magistrate," a Paris judicial official told the Telegraph. “He was placed under judicial supervision...the investigations will now continue as a judicial investigation and will be led by an investigating judge."

Pippa married David's son James in 2017. Several members of the royal family were in attendance, including Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge Kate. Prince Harry attended as well, although his then-girlfriend, now-fiancee Meghan Markle skipped the ceremony, according to the Telegraph. Prince George was there, too.

James initially followed in his father's footsteps and pursued professional race car driving. He was successful, competing in the British Formula 3 Championship and, in 1994, winning both the British Formula Renault Championship and the Eurocup Formula Renault. James later entered securities trading, according to the Sun, becoming a senior equity options trader at the finance house Nordic Options Ltd and later a hedge fund manager at Eden Rock Capital Management Group.

David holds the Scottish title Laird of Glen Affric, which stems from his family's land ownership in Scotland in the 15th century. His son James will inherit that title when David dies, at which point Pippa will become the Lady Glen Affric.

According to Elite Traveler, David purchased the Eden Rock Hotel in 1994 after glimpsing it from his yacht, and soon moved there with his wife Jane. He reportedly then spent a decade refurnishing the hotel's facilities, and in 2016, Condé Nast Traveller's readers voted it the best hotel in the world.

People reports that Eden Rock Hotel, which only has 34 rooms, has been a favorite destination for celebrities for decades, with everyone from Greta Garbo and Howard Hughes to Jennifer Lopez, Tom Hanks and Jessica Alba staying there on occasion. However, the Eden Rock Hotel was severely damaged in 2017 when Hurricane Irma pummeled St. Barths.

James and Pippa met on St. Barths in 2006. The two were first spotted together in public in 2012, sparking rumors that they were dating. However, Pippa soon went on to date somebody else for several years before rekindling her romance with James in late 2015, according to E! News.