Over the past two years, Penny Lancaster Stewart has been very open about her desire to add to her family with a second child. She and her rock star husband, Rod Stewart, have often spoken of their wish to give their four-year-old son Alastair a baby brother or sister. However, despite their longing, things haven't gone well for the couple on that front and Penny spoke last year about her difficulty conceiving, adding with unfailing optimism: "I think Rod’s touring and running around interferes with things, but we still have high hopes."
So it is a very happy couple that have chosen today to announce on hellomagazine.com, with "thrill" and "delight", that their prayers have been answered. The Stewarts have proudly told us that Penny is three months pregnant. The baby is due just weeks after Rod celebrates his 66th birthday, while Penny turns 40 on 15 March.
The couple had been celebrating their third wedding anniversary at the romantic, exclusive resort of Portofino, Italy, close to where they married in 2007, when they found out they were expecting the baby they’ve been longing for. They said in a statement: "Penny and Rod were lucky enough to be celebrating more than just their third wedding anniversary in June, as the news came that Penny was pregnant with their second child." The couple added: "We were thrilled and delighted to be able to tell Alastair that he was going to be the big brother to a little baby, expected just before Mummy’s 40th birthday."
A statement from Penny’s agents, Nicholas Young and Veronica Pieters at Crawfords, added: "Everyone in the office is overjoyed at this wonderful news. Penny is such a lovely person and a brilliant mum and we wish her, Rod and Alastair all the very best."
The couple have been together for ten years, during which they have become firm favourites in the pages of HELLO!, especially after we joined them both at their wedding and for Alastair's first baby shoot. Model and photographer Penny even covered Rod’s massively successful tour for us earlier this summer, when her husband gave an insight into the deep love the couple share, revealing that they are still "like lovestruck teenagers".
Penny also revealed that Rod’s "Access All Areas" tour pass was a copy of his OAP bus pass, with a photograph of him dressed as an old woman, saying: "That's exactly the sort of humour that made me fall in love with him." Now, with so much to look forward to next year, there's no doubt that their immense love for one another will continue to grow along with their family.
