Pippa Middleton and beau have split

Pippa Middleton, younger sister of England's new Princess Catherine, has broken up with her beau, financier Alex Loudon, with whom she attended the royal wedding in April.

Middleton, 27, whose elegance at the marriage of Prince William and her sister thrust her into the media spotlight, had dated the 30-year-old former cricket pro for more than a year, Us magazine said.

But the two have not been seen together in weeks, and Middleton has since been spotted with several male acquaintances. Most prominent of these is her decade-long friend George Percy, whom she dated while they were students at Edinburgh University, according to the British newspaper the Daily Mail.

She and Percy, 27, the wealthy son of the Duke of Northumberland, have been photographed together at a nightclub in Madrid, at the French Open in Paris and at the upscale London restaurant Le Cercle.

"The Duke of Northumberland's son would be a considerable catch," Charles Kidd, editor of the blue blood bible Debrett's Peerage, told The Associated Press. "He's the heir to his father and his father's title. The duke is the highest rank of the peerage -- they do rank just after the royal family."

Kidd said Percy has served as a "page of honor" to Queen Elizabeth II, a position that allows him to accompany the queen at some major state events.

However, one friend of Middleton's told Us, "She loves George, but only as a best friend."

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