London - Pippa Middleton is expecting her first baby, it was reported over the weekend.
The 34-year-old sister of the Duchess of Cambridge married multi-millionaire financier James Matthews, 42, in a ceremony last May.
Kate - who is expecting her third child any day - was said to have been one of the first people Pippa told and "could not have been more delighted for her".
Pippa has apparently had her crucial 12-week scan and is now telling members of her "inner circle", which would suggest an October due date. A spokesperson for the family declined to comment on the report in the Sun on Sunday.
The news would undoubtedly be a boost for the Matthews family who are reeling from allegations that James’s millionaire hotelier father David, 74, raped a female minor.
Police in Paris are investigating the accusation, which dates back to between 1998 and 1999 and has been vehemently denied by Mr Matthews.
This month a second allegation was made against him dating from the 1980s, which is being investigated by South Yorkshire Police. He has not responded to this claim.
It is believed that Pippa and James, who made his fortune in hedge funds, had been keen to start a family but wanted to make the most of their first few months of married life.
READ: Duchess Kate's sister Pippa's reportedly pregnant too
The newspaper reported its source as saying: "When Pippa found out she was pregnant she was obviously thrilled and utterly overjoyed.
"Naturally, big sister Kate and parents Carole and Michael were the first people she told – James aside – and they could not have been more delighted.
"It’s been a tough few weeks for the two families, so this has provided some much-needed happiness and light relief."
The friend also told the Sun on Sunday: "Pippa and James have always known they wanted children. They have made the most of their first few months of marriage and felt the time was right to expand their family."
The announcement comes a few weeks after James’s 28-year-old brother Spencer, the former star of reality television show Made In Chelsea, announced that he was expecting a baby with his model girlfriend Vogue Williams.
Pippa and James married in Berkshire last May, throwing a £1-million reception afterwards in the grounds of the Middleton family mansion in Berkshire, which included the building of a 140ft glass marquee imported from Belgium.
No expense was spared for the nuptials, which included a Spitfire fly-past for their guests. Pippa’s niece and nephew, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were a pageboy and bridesmaid.
Keep fit fanatic Pippa, who has taken part in several swimming, skiing and running endurance races, visits a gym in Kensington several times a week and has been seen there in recent days. She has also been spotted cycling through the streets of London.