Paul McCartney’s 5 Children: Everything to Know

Paul McCartney is best known for being a member of The Beatles, but to his five kids — Heather, Mary, Stella, James and Beatrice — he’s known as “Dad.”

It’s a title the musician cherishes, as he told The Telegraph in 2009: “I love being a dad.”

The “Let It Be” singer first became a father in 1969, when he married photographer Linda Eastman and adopted her daughter from a previous marriage, Heather, 61. The couple went on to welcome three more kids: Mary, 54, Stella, 52, and James, 46.

Eastman died of breast cancer on April 17, 1998. McCartney was deeply affected by his wife’s death, later telling BBC he “cried for a year.” In 2002, he married Heather Mills, with whom he would welcome his youngest child, Beatrice, 20, in October 2003. However, the couple separated when Beatrice was just 3 years old.

McCartney married his current wife Nancy Shevell in 2011 and now, his children are all grown up. In February 2023, he reflected on how his relationship with his kids has changed over the years.

“I’ve always just tried to give my kids a bit of guidance if they seem to need it — but that was mainly when they were younger,” he wrote on his website. “Now that they are older, they’re guiding me!”

He continued, “They don’t need so much guidance these days but if there’s ever a problem, I’m very happy to be the guy they come to … So, that’s largely the thing of being a dad. You’re just there to help, and I suppose have fun with — we do have a lot of fun. Now they’re older, we can have a drink together, for instance!”

Here is everything to know about Paul McCartney’s five children.

Heather Louise McCartney, 61

Express/Express/Getty

McCartney’s oldest child, Heather Louise McCartney, was born to Eastman and her then-husband Joseph Melville See Jr., on Dec. 31, 1962, in Tucson, Arizona. By the time she was 3, however, Heather’s parents had divorced.

In 1967, Eastman met the famed musician and quickly moved with Heather to England to be with him. The couple got married on March 2, 1969, and McCartney officially adopted Heather around the same time.

Like her parents, Heather pursued a career in the creative arts. She studied printing at the Photographers’ Workshop in Covent Garden, London, later winning the Young Black and White Printer of the Year award.

She then studied pottery and design in college and became an established potter. She eventually launched her own line of houseware products, called Heather McCartney Designs.

In 1999, McCartney traveled to Atlanta to support the launch of Heather’s brand, marking his first public appearance in the United States since Eastman’s death the previous year. “I’m happy to be here,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “She’s a lovely girl and I’m very proud of her.”

When asked by the outlet who her biggest inspirations were, Heather answered, “My mom and dad. My brother and sisters, completely.”

Aside from appearances in the documentaries The Beatles: Get Back and Let It Be when she was little, Heather has largely stayed out of the public eye.

Mary Anna McCartney, 54

ANGELA WEISS/AFP

McCartney and Eastman’s first child together, Mary Anna McCartney, was born in London on Aug. 28, 1969, just as the Beatles were breaking up.

Mary followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a photographer. In an interview with journalist Alain Elkann, Mary revealed that she fell in love with photography at a young age, having been introduced to it by her mom.

“[My mom] took me to her darkroom in Soho and printed a little 10-by-8-inch image herself, and it was just me and her,” she recalled. “She took the small piece of blank white paper and put it into the tray, and then waved it from side to side, and I saw this black-and-white image magically appear. As a child the impact of that magic in that moment really went into my heart.”

Mary’s work has been displayed in galleries all over the world and featured in various publications, including GQ, Vogue and the Sunday Times. In 2015, she was selected to photograph Queen Elizabeth to commemorate her record-breaking reign.

“It was a thrill to meet her and a very great privilege to take her photo on this historic occasion,” Mary told PEOPLE in a statement at the time. “She is a truly inspirational person, a trailblazer and a beacon for womankind.”

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

In 2020, she photographed two other huge stars: her dad and Taylor Swift, for the cover of Rolling Stone. “I kind of became dad’s lockdown photographer during the first lockdown. I did the album cover for McCartney III,” Mary said of the experience during an interview with CBS This Morning. “Dad was really sweet, he came up to me and he said … ‘I’d love you to take the picture.’ ”

The shoot also served as a full circle moment for Mary as her mom was the first female photographer to shoot a Rolling Stone cover in 1968, as Mary shared on Instagram.

In addition to photography, Mary is also a filmmaker. In 2021, she directed her debut documentary If These Walls Could Sing, which is about the history of Abbey Road Studios — where the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush and other legendary musicians have recorded.

Mary is very passionate about cooking and veganism as well. She has published several vegan cookbooks as well, including The Meat Free Monday Cookbook with her dad and sister Stella, Food: Vegetarian Home Cooking, At My Table: Vegetarian Feasts for Family and Friends and Linda McCartney’s Family Kitchen.

Currently, Mary is the host of her own Food Network show, Mary McCartney Serves It Up. While discussing the project with PEOPLE, Mary shared that she also enjoys cooking for her dad. “[McCartney] really is so great to cook for because he really appreciates home cooking. He really loves someone cooking for him,” she said.

In 2022, the series was nominated for outstanding culinary series at the Daytime Emmy Awards.

As for her personal life, Mary was married to director and producer Alistair Donald from 1998 to 2007, and the pair share two sons: Arthur and Elliot. She is currently married to filmmaker Simon Aboud and they share two sons as well: Sam and Sid.

Stella Nina McCartney, 52

Rich Fury/Getty

McCartney and Eastman’s middle child, Stella Nina McCartney, was born in London on Sept. 13, 1971.

Stella is famous in her own right, having become one of the most well-known fashion designers in the world. She began designing her own clothes when she was just 12 years old, as she shared during an appearance on Good Morning America.

“I was very aware of the kind of eye on us as a family unit,” she said, adding of her desire to make a name for herself: “Just being pre-judged and [finding] my own sense of self within all that, yeah, it was really important.”

When she was 16, Stella scored an internship working with Christian LaCroix in Paris, according to Vogue. She went on to study fashion at some of London’s most elite schools, including the prestigious Central Saint Martins. While there, she studied under Edward Sexton, who would later help her launch her first collection for Chloé.

In 1997, the designer was named the creative director of Chloé at just 26 years old. Stella later opened up about the experience during her January 2020 cover story for Vogue, recalling that her working practice was “totally at odds with the rest of the industry,” and she was immediately met with “a lot of resistance.”

She was named the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards Designer of the Year in 2000 and stepped down from Chloé the following year to launch her own eponymous line — after she had tripled sales at the French luxury brand.

Her line, which has a high emphasis on sustainability and animal-friendly practices, has since become one of the biggest fashion brands in the world and has expanded into perfume, beauty and menswear.

“I’m trying to create something that’s still sexy and desirable and luxurious that isn’t landfill,” she told Vogue in her cover story.

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

On Aug. 30, 2003, Stella got married to Alasdhair Willis, the consultant she hired to help launch her line, in a secret wedding in Scotland. The couple have since welcomed four kids: sons Miller and Beckett and daughters Bailey and Reiley.

“[It was] love across a breakfast table,” Willis told British Vogue in 2014. “We had a breakfast meeting … and we haven’t really been apart since. I called her that afternoon.”

2018 was a huge year for the entrepreneur. In addition to being chosen to design Meghan Markle’s dress for her wedding reception following her royal nuptials to Prince Harry, Stella bought back full ownership of her label from the conglomerate Kering, per Fashion United.

That year, the fashion guru also launched the Stella McCartney Cares Foundation — a charity that aims to raise awareness for both breast cancer and sustainability.

In 2021, Stella launched a limited-edition Beatles capsule collection timed to the release of the Beatles documentary Get Back. “The Beatles were the faces of a cultural movement for positive change that continues to shape the lives of millions around the world,” she wrote on her website. “I hope this capsule celebrates and communicates these ageless messages to a new generation.”

The following year, Stella was honored by the Queen in recognition of her contributions to fashion and sustainability.

During an interview with TIME in August 2023, Stella addressed being the daughter of a former Beatle and how that has impacted her career in Hollywood.

“As one of the first nepo babies, I had the privilege of choice,” she said. “I’m very aware of how lucky I’ve been.”

James Louis McCartney, 46

FilmMagic/FilmMagic

McCartney and Eastman welcomed their first son, James Louis McCartney, in London on Sept. 12, 1977.

James followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued a career in music. He is now an accomplished singer-songwriter and musician. He has even collaborated with McCartney on a number of projects, including the famed singer’s solo albums Flaming Pie and Driving Rain, in which James played drums and guitar on a few tracks in addition to co-writing some of the songs.

On his own, James released the EP Available Light in 2010, as well as Close at Hand and The Complete EP Collection in 2011.

On May 4, 2013, the artist released his first full-length album, Me, which was co-produced by McCartney. The eighth track, “Thinking About Rock and Roll,” also featured backup vocals by the former Beatle.

James released a second album, The Blackberry Train, also co-produced by McCartney, in 2016.

During a 2013 appearance on BBC Breakfast, James shared that he was not nervous about going into music given the weight his last name carries. “I never really thought of it like that,” he said. “I thought I’m not going to be oppressed by certain things, I am just going to carry on and do my own thing.”

Off stage, James is relatively private and does not share much about his personal life.

Beatrice Milly McCartney, 20

McCartney’s youngest daughter, Beatrice Milly McCartney, was born in London on Oct. 28, 2003, to McCartney and his then-wife, Heather Mills. “She is a little beauty and we couldn’t be prouder,” the former couple said in a statement at the time.

During a 2016 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Mills referred to Beatrice as her “miracle child,” sharing that she was told she “could never have children after having two ectopic pregnancies and four miscarriages.”

McCartney and Mills separated in 2006, when Beatrice was just 3 years old, and later finalized their divorce in 2008.

Aside from being spotted out with her dad on occasion, Beatrice was largely kept out of the public eye while she was growing up. “I’m very proud of the fact that I have kept her image completely protected,” Mills told Winfrey in 2016. “She’s not mixing in celebrity lifestyle, she’s not out in public places where the whole celebrity thing goes on.”

During a 2009 interview with The Telegraph, McCartney shared that Beatrice’s upbringing was fairly normal. “My typical morning these days would be to get up at 6:30 a.m., make breakfast, get Beatrice up, get her dressed and watch some TV,” he said. “I don’t have a nanny. I do all the regular stuff myself. I take her to school, talk to all the mums, talk to the teacher then pick her up from school.”

He added that he relished his time with his youngest. “I love every second of it and I’m not exhausted at all,” he shared. “I genuinely love it. It’s a thrill bringing up a young kid, it’s such an education. I am a different dad now, but it’s good.”

On Oct. 9, 2011, then-7-year-old Beatrice served as the flower girl in her father’s wedding to Nancy Shevell, walking down the aisle with a long dress, pink wool coat and a flower wreath in her hair.

While speaking to The Guardian in 2015, Mills gave some insight into her daughter’s personality. “Beatrice says she’s 99% me,” she said. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing. I think she’s got the best of both of [Paul and I], we’re both very musical. I taught her the saxophone.”

Mills added, “She’s a brilliant poet so obviously gets that from him, but I think she’s got the best of both of us.”

According to Mills, her daughter did not get McCartney’s penchant for the spotlight, though. “Beatrice hates fame and the whole limelight thing,” she said. “She wants to be a marine biologist, not a pop star.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education