William larks around on a boat in Ibiza with Kate Middleton

William larks around on a boat in Ibiza with Kate  Middleton

Athletic in Ibiza: Pippa Middleton performs a flawless backflip in to the warm waters of the Mediterranean as an admiring Kate looks on from the stern of the motor yacht


They were carefree days before the world became entranced by their every movement.

This is Kate Middleton and her sister Pippa as they've never been seen before, enjoying an exuberant holiday in Ibiza with their family and Prince William.

Taken in 2006, these previously unseen pictures capture a fleeting moment in the lives of the couple when they could behave like ordinary twentysomethings, unencumbered by the responsibilities they now carry as the new stars of the Royal Family.

William larks around on a boat in Ibiza with Kate  Middleton

Playful: Pippa climbs back aboard as William jokingly grabs Kate; right, the sisters relax on deck, with Kate using her camera

William larks around on a boat in Ibiza with Kate  Middleton

Sunshine days: William, in red shorts, with Pippa (left), Carole, in green bikini, and other holiday guests


They show the Prince larking around with Kate and Pippa, the girls' mother Carole and their brother James on a boat belonging to Carole's brother Gary Goldsmith during a week-long sunshine holiday to Ibiza.

Pippa shows off her athletic prowess -- and her enviably toned physique -- performing a backwards dive into the sea.

Kate, who also looks stunning in her white bikini, is content to stand back and watch.

William larks around on a boat in Ibiza with Kate  Middleton

Heir in the air: Watched by Carole, Kate, James (in the patterned shorts) and Pippa, William attempts a backflip from the boat...

William larks around on a boat in Ibiza with Kate  Middleton

... but the young royal finishes with an ungainly belly-flop into the water

William larks around on a boat in Ibiza with Kate  Middleton

Making waves: The Prince failed to match Pippa's graceful aquatic display


Carole, who won admiration at the wedding for her elegant appearance, also reveals a youthfully trim figure in an emerald green bikini.

Meanwhile, in his red swimming shorts, William could be any young man eager to impress his girlfriend by performing a backflip -- which somehow turns into a belly-flop by the time he hits the water.

William larks around on a boat in Ibiza with Kate  Middleton

Her Royal Hotness: Pippa in her bridesmaid's dress at her sister's wedding


The pictures reveal the extent to which the Middletons invited William into the heart of their family.

During their week in Ibiza, they stayed at Gary's £5million villa, dubbed 'La Maison de Bang Bang'.