PARIS (AFP) - The father-in-law of Pippa Middleton, whose sister Kate is married to Britain's Prince William, has been charged in France with the rape of a minor, a legal source told AFP on Friday (March 30).

David Matthews was taken into custody for questioning last Tuesday by investigators with France's Brigade for the Protection of Minors in a case dating from 1998-99, after a complaint was lodged in 2017, the source said.

According to Europe 1 radio, which first reported the charges, Matthews, now 74, was accused by a niece shortly before she legally became an adult.

His daughter-in-law Pippa Middleton married financier James Matthews last May, after shooting into the spotlight in 2011 following the wedding of her sister Kate to Prince William, the second-in-line to the throne.

According to a Daily Mail report at the time of Pippa's wedding, David Matthews was born in Rotherham, England, and began his career selling cars before becoming a professional auto racer.

After a severe crash during a race, he turned to business, building a successful chain of dealerships before selling out and becoming a property developer.

The Daily Mail says Matthews owns the Eden Rock luxury resort on the Caribbean island of St Barths, and the Glen Affric Estate in Scotland.