Pippa Middleton's new family: What you need to know

The gardens are manicured, the biceps are pumped. As the UK prepares for the most hotly anticipated wedding since Will and Kate's, speculation about the dress and details has gone into overdrive.

We already know that Pippa Middleton and James Matthews' nuptials will include Prince George as a pageboy and Princess Charlotte as a flower girl.

It will take place at a historic village church in Englefield, Berkshire, with a ceremony costing a whopping $470,000. The star-studded guest list includes the likes of Meghan Markle, TV star Donna Air, tennis ace Roger Federer and explorer Ben Fogle.

But what of the actual family Pippa is marrying into? Here's what you need to know about the world's (second) most famous set of in-laws.

Pippa's wedding preparation has been well documented. Photo / Getty

1. "The Band"

Pippa's hubby-to-be, James, 41, is the oldest of three boys born to Jane and Dave Matthews, nicknamed The Band by the kids - after the Dave Matthews Band.

Dave Matthews is a former racing driver who was forced to shelve his career after an accident damaged his eye. He moved into selling luxury cars and property development. He had also been married before, divorcing his first wife, fellow racing driver Anita Taylor, with whom he has a daughter.

His second wife, Jane (James' mum), was raised in Zimbabwe and reportedly worked at Christian Dior before Dave Matthews tracked her down and vowed to marry her, the Times reports. She was famously voted "carnival queen" and paraded through the streets at her university in South Africa.

The pair now own the luxury Caribbean resort Eden Rock in St Barths, on a private island with dramatic cliffs and turquoise waters that have made it a haunt for the privacy-seeking rich and famous to holiday on. Guests include Beyonce and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The children have inherited an outdoorsy streak with a passion for skiing, tennis and ultra marathons.

James initially followed his father's footsteps into race car driving but changed his mind and now runs a hedge-fund based in London and has multi-million pound properties to his name.

Michael Matthews

James' brother, Michael, tragically went missing in 1999 after becoming the youngest Brit to reach the summit of Mount Everest. He vanished on the descent and has not been seen since. The family started the Michael Matthews Foundation in his honour, which builds schools around the world.

Spencer Matthews

Youngest brother Spencer, 27, is 14 years James' junior, and has cultivated a "posh Lothario" image from reality shows including Made in Chelsea and an autobiography published at age 24 in which he claimed to have had six-person orgies and slept with 1000 women, which he later retracted.

He's dating model Vogue Williams, who will reportedly not be at the wedding, and has previously admitted to using steroids and being jealous of his brother's "good taste" in women, which included some "absolutely incredible girlfriends".