Penny Lancaster, 51, and Rod Stewart, 77, met at a party in 1999 and began an affair after she began photographing him while he was on tour. Penny discovered she was carrying their first child when Rod proposed to her in 2005.
Alastair, now 17 years old, was born in November of that year. Penny and Rod soon desired a second child.
After two years of trying to conceive naturally, the couple sought medical help.
Penny conceived her second kid in 2010 after three “grueling” rounds of IVF therapy.
Despite her best attempts, she soon got the heartbreaking news that would rock her world.
Penny’s sister-in-law, Louise, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at 36.
When doctors identified two tumors and impacted lymph nodes, they quickly advised Louise, married to Penny’s brother Oliver, to have a mastectomy.
Penny was shocked by the news, especially since she had lost her friend Maria Falco to cancer in 2005.
In a 2010 interview, Penny described Louise’s illness’s impact on her, which almost lead to a miscariage.
Because Alastair, who was four then, yearned for a younger brother or sister, their joy at the birth was much greater.
“Alastair’s pleas of ‘Mummy, I, really, really want a baby!’ kept me on track,” the model explained.
“I proclaimed that I’d stop at 40, understand how fortunate I am that we have Alastair, and quit the pursuit.
“But thankfully, our wish came true, and all is okay now.”
Rod also has six children from previous relationships.
His first kid, Sarah Streeter, was born in 1963 and is 59 years old. Kimberly, 43, and Sean, 42, were born in his 1979 marriage to Alana Stewart.
The rocker subsequently began dating model Kelly Emberg, and in 1987, they had Ruby, now 35 years old.
Three years later, Rod got engaged for the second time. Rachel Hunter, a New Zealander, is the model this time.
Renée, 30, and Liam, 28, were their two children.
