The Tragedy That Changed Pippa Middleton's Husband's Life Forever

Given just how lavish Pippa Middleton and James Matthews' lifestyle is, one may be tempted to think the future Laird of Glen Affric has lived a charmed life. However, James actually suffered a horrific tragedy in his early adulthood. At the age of just 23, James lost his younger brother in a devastating accident on Mount Everest — and understandably, Michael Matthews' death affected him in a big way. 

18 months his brother's junior, Michael Matthews was 22 years old when he summitted Mount Everest in 1999. Given that he was the youngest British mountaineer to have done so at the time, it certainly was a momentous occasion. Sadly, though, the happiness was short-lived. While making their descent, Michael and his group hit a storm, and he went missing. Speaking to BBC News a few days later, Michael and James' father, David Matthews, shared that he believed his son had died. "Michael's oxygen would have run out within a couple of hours of him becoming detached," he acknowledged.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Matthews family later took legal action against the guides who had been present for Michael's summit. Speaking to The Guardian of the matter in 2001, David explained, "Some will suggest that we're wealthy people who want to make people suffer for the death of our son, but our boy died, we've looked into the reasons why, as most loving families would do, and we believe this is a shocking tale of deceit, desertion and a cover-up." Unfortunately for the Matthews family patriarch, the judge saw things differently and lauded Michael's personal guide for putting himself at risk by waiting for Michael for as long as he did. David nonetheless told The Guardian that his and his family's goal was to prevent any other families from losing a loved one themselves.

Given the trauma he faced after his brother's accident, it should probably go without saying that James Matthews isn't planning on scaling any mountains himself anytime soon. In fact, in 2016, Pippa Middleton (then newly engaged to James) addressed the matter after she and her own brother accomplished a major mountaineering feat themselves. 

In 2016, Pippa and James Middleton climbed the Matterhorn — an expedition to raise funds for the foundation named in Michael Matthews' honor. However, her fiance was notably missing. That said, Pippa completely understood his reservations. "It would have been good if James Matthews had been here to share the experience, something I know he would have loved to have done. Mountain climbing, though, has disturbing memories and understandably James kept his feet firmly on the ground, whilst giving us his complete support," she said of his absence (via People). 

Even if her now-husband wasn't keen to get in on the action himself, Pippa also revealed that the journey helped her to feel closer to her late brother-in-law, pointing out that she and her brother were both passionate about mountains, just as Michael had been. "We made this climb knowing he would have been there nudging us on, and we are honored to be supporting his memory," she said. Given Michael's athleticism, we have no doubts that he and his uber-sporty in-laws would have gotten along great, so the fact that the Middletons brought attention to his life the way they did is a serious tearjerker. 

Pippa Middleton's brother-in-law, Spencer Matthews, has also spoken about how Michael Matthews' death affected James Matthews and gushed over James' commitment to preserving his memory. In his autobiography, "Confessions of a Chelsea Boy," Spencer applauds his eldest brother's dedication to raising money for The Michael Matthews Foundation. "The individual who deserves the most credit is James, who over the years has been tireless in his fundraising, taking part in countless marathons, triathlons and iron-man races in order to raise money," he writes. The gushing doesn't end there, either. Spencer also writes that because of his selflessness and charitable nature, "The world needs more men like my brother James."

On top of his work with the foundation, Spencer shared in "Confessions of a Chelsea Boy" that James had been a pillar of strength for him personally, as well as for their parents. Speaking of their parents, the Matthews brothers and their sister have also created a new tradition in honor of their late brother's birthday. "We send mum and dad red roses for the age he would have been," he revealed. 

Despite being a rock for his family in the wake of their bereavement, Spencer has also acknowledged how difficult Michael's death must have been for James in particular. After all, the brothers were close in age, and as he described them, "The closest of friends." Heartbreak aside, it's very special to see just how tight-knit the Matthews family has remained over the years. What's more, Pippa and James Middleton's fundraising efforts are evidence that as the siblings start their own families, Michael's memory will be honored for years to come.