It is no secret that the British Royal family has a special liking and relationship with Kenya. Queen Elizabeth II was in Kenya on a visit as princess back in 1952 when her father King George VI died and she became queen. Her grandson Prince William (second in line to the throne) also chose Kenya as the perfect spot for him to propose to his girlfriend Kate Middleton back in 2010. The two later married and have two children now.

At the weekend, during the Lewa marathon, another member of the royal family was present, yet very few people even noticed that she was there. Pippa Middleton, the younger sister to Catherine Duchess of Cambridge took part in the 42 kilometer run in support of wildlife conservation. Pippa Middleton began receiving media attention with her appearance as the maid of honor at her sister's wedding to Prince William, and has continued to do so for her fashion sense.

See photos from the Lewa Marathon.

The unique thing about Pippa is that unlike other members of the royal family, she does not have any extra security detail around her. Notably the US ambassador to Kenya Robert F. Godec who also took part in the Lewa marathon, had a whole contingent of GSU personnel around him during the run. Pippa, however was like any other athlete on the trail. The running enthusiast also performed quite well in the marathon having taken part in previous marathons elsewhere. British media have reported that Pippa has now been hired by her elder sister Kate as a personal fitness trainer.

It is perhaps important to note that the original owners of the Lewa Conservancy, the Craig/Douglas family are very close to the Royal family. For example on 19 October 2010, Prince William of Wales proposed marriage to Catherine Middleton at Lewa. Sources intimate that Pippa will be staying with the Craigs during her stay in Kenya and that she is planning to climb Mt. Kenya in the next week or two.

Featured image courtesy of magforwomen.com