Pop queen Madonna embarked on her parenting journey at the age of 38 in 1996, a voyage that would see her raise six children, each one a testament to her spirit of love and endurance. The multi award-winning superstar opened up about her parenthood journey in a Vanity Fair Italy interview in January 2023.
"Having children and raising them is a work of art. And no one gives you a manual," she said, "You have to learn from mistakes. It's a job that takes a lot of time. And it's tiring because there's never rest."
However she also gushed: "Most of my happiness comes from my children." So now, as the Queen of Pop turns 65, join HELLO! as we take a look back at her remarkable family and how they've blossomed over the years.
Who are Madonna's children?
Madonna is a proud mom to six children: two biological children, Lourdes and Rocco, who she had with her partners Carlos Leon and Guy Ritchie respectively; and four adopted children: David, Mercy, and twins Stella and Esther.
Who is Lourdes Leon?
Madonna's firstborn arrived in October 1996 during Madonna's relationship with fitness expert turned actor Carlos Leon. Her birth led Madonna to write her hit-song 'Little Star' in 1998.
Lourdes, now 26, is a model who has worked on campaigns for Mugler, Burberry, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs to name just a few. As a child, she also dipped her toe into the fashion designing world when she worked with her mom to debut an exclusive Macy's clothes range for teens called 'Material Girl' in 2010.
Lourdes recalled Madonna's 'control freak' parenting approach during her early years in an October 2021 interview with Interview Magazine. "I needed to be completely independent from her as soon as I graduated high school," she shared.
MORE: Lourdes Leon channels mom Madonna in lace-up corset
Who is Madonna's second child Rocco Ritchie?
Four years after the birth of Lourdes, Madonna and her then-husband Guy Ritchie welcomed their first child, Rocco Ritchie, in August 2000. Rocco is an artist who studied at Central Saint Martins and the Royal Drawing School in London.
The 23-year-old began his career publishing his works anonymously under the name 'Rhed' although he was revealed to be behind the pseudonym in 2021. In March 2022, he began a personal Instagram account on which he has shared images showing him at work as Rhed, and he was featured in Vogue Hong Kong about his art in September 2022.
In the interview, Rocco credited his parent's work in the arts for inspiring him into an artistic career of his own. "It certainly helped growing up in a house that was passionate about art and culture," he shared. "[They] taught me to appreciate it and respect it," he continued.
Who is David Banda?
Madonna and Guy expanded their family in 2006 by adopting David Banda from Malawi. He was one year old at the time, although the adoption process was only finalized May 2008 when he was two.
Following some controversy surrounding her adoption of David in the late aughts, Madonna released a statement stressing she would be "committed to maintaining an ongoing relationship with David’s Malawian roots."
The now 17-year-old and Madonna are very close, with the star especially taken with their similarities. "I feel like he gets me; he has more of my DNA than any of my children so far," the 65-year-old told British Vogue in 2019.
One aspect which it's evident the mother-son duo have in common is a passion for fashion. "It's really irritating. He wears my clothes and looks better in them. He can even wear a dress and look butch," she jokingly complained during an appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show in 2022.
Who is Madonna's daughter Chifundo 'Mercy' James?
Following her divorce from Guy being finalized in 2008, Madonna’s adoption journey continued when she adopted Chifundo 'Mercy' James from Malawi in May 2009, despite initial resistance due to her non-residency in the country. The 'Material Girl' singer adopted Mercy at the age of three years old.
Eight years later, Madonna and Mercy returned to Malawi in order to open the nation's first pediatric surgery and intensive care center, touchingly titled the 'Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care'.
The Michigan-born mom is full of love for her second-oldest daughter. To celebrate her 17th birthday in January 2023, Madonna took to Instagram, writing: "Happy Birthday Chifundo Mercy James. The kindest, most thoughtful, most magical girl on the planet! There is no one like you! "
Who are Madonna's twins Stella and Estere Mwale?
Madonna adopted her twin daughters Stella and Estere Ciccone in February 2017 when they were both five years old. Speaking to People following the adoption, she said: "I thought, 'What am I waiting for? Just do it,'" after she expressed how she'd been finding herself thinking: "'Why isn't my kitchen filled with dancing children?'"
The 'Take a Bow' singer has been delighted to find that both of the now 11-year-olds, like their siblings, have settled quickly into life living with the popstar and have begun showing an interest in artistic pursuits such as making music and dancing. On their tenth birthdays in 2022, she wrote on Instagram: "Happy birthday Estere and Stella Mwale! You both bring so much Love- Laughter and Light into all of our lives!!"