Paul McCartney has five children – and his role as a parent has evolved over the years.
Right now, let’s focus on Beatrice Milly McCartney, his youngest daughter.
Lately, she has garnered quite a bit of attention, as many believe she bears an uncanny resemblance to her famous father. Scroll down to judge for yourself…
Comparing celebrities and their children with each other is quite inevitable. I mean, we constantly compare our own children to ourselves – or maybe they’re an exact copy of their uncle or grandparents. It’s quite human to try to find signs that connect us, it helps us feel a sense of belonging.
Looking at 20-year-old Beatrice Milly McCartney, there’s hardly any doubt about who her father is…
Paul McCartney, one of the co-founders of The Beatles, has an indisputable place in music history, and since he is arguably one of the most famous Britons of all time, his private life has also become widely known to the public.
He married his first wife, Linda McCartney, in 1969, and together they had four children – Heather, Mary, Stella, and James McCartney.
Sadly, Linda passed away in 1998. She died from breast cancer, at the age of 56.
Two years after Linda’s tragic passing, rumors began to surface that the legendary musician had found love again.
Tabloids quickly picked up on McCartney’s appearances at events with former model Heather Mills. The young woman had a lot of psychological and physical scars when she met Paul. When Heather was 25, her life changed dramatically when she was hit by a speeding police motorcycle as she stepped off a curb.
The accident resulted in the loss of the lower half of her left leg.
After that, she continued to work with disabled people and became a campaigner against landmines. Heather met Paul McCartney at a charitable awards ceremony in London’s Dorchester in May 1999. Intrigued by her presentation, McCartney quickly reached out to her.
”I thought he was very cute but it didn’t enter my head that he fancied me,” she said later.
When she celebrated her 32rd birthday, Paul McCartney appeared by her side, making their relationship official.
Paul and Heather tied the knot in 2002, and a year later, their daughter, Beatrice Milly McCartney, was born. The little baby was reportedly named after Mills’ mother, Beatrice, and McCartney’s Aunt Milly.
Four miscarriages
”She is a little beauty and we couldn’t be prouder,” the couple said in a statement at the time.
The couple saw Beatrice as their little miracle. Heather later revealed that they never expected to have children. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2016, Heather disclosed that she thought she ”could never have children after having two ectopic pregnancies and four miscarriages.”
Unfortunately, the family happiness didn’t last long. Soon after Beatrice’s birth, the relationship began to falter. Heather faced harsh scrutiny in the British tabloids, which at the time was relentless in its pursuit of sales.
Paul, on the other hand, had to defend himself against malicious rumors that Heather was just a golddigger who married him for money. In May 2006, the pair announced their separation.
Beatrice was only three years old when Paul and Heather parted ways.
The divorce process was bitter, but eventually, the parties reached a settlement. According to the agreement, McCartney would cover the nanny school fees for Beatrice, as well as provide her with $45,000 annually until she turned 17 or completed her secondary education.
During her upbringing, Beatrice’s parents tried to keep their young daughter away from the spotlight. They wanted her to have a ‘normal’ childhood. Sometimes she was seen in public with her famous dad, but for the most part, Beatrice was kept away from the public eye.
Fear of kidnapping
One reason for this was Heather’s fear of Beatrice being kidnapped. According to Getty, she once spoke to waiting photographers and said she didn’t mind people taking her baby’s photo as long as her face was blurred, such was her fear that a kidnapping gang might strike.
She said: ”John Lennon was shot and George was stabbed and loads of kids are getting kidnapped so if you could keep her face out of it or at least if you could blur it off I’d really appreciate it. I don’t care about me or Paul but it is risking her life everytime a picture is put out in public”
”I’m very proud of the fact that I have kept her image completely protected,” Heather 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.”
Paul McCartney has also spoken about Beatrice’s upbringing. In a 2009 interview with The Telegraph, the rock star shared insights into the family’s routines and his role as a father.
”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 and continued:
”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.”
The singer described himself as a ”hands-on” dad. And it’s evident that Paul enjoyed watching his little daughter grow up, perhaps even more so than when he had his first children and was in the midst of his career.
”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.”
When Beatrice turned 7, she served as the flower girl when her father remarried, this time to Nancy Shevell. It also seems that Beatrice has inherited a lot from her musical father.
In an interview with The Guardian, Heather Mills provided 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 me], 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.”
Beatrice McCartney today
Today, in 2024, Beatrice is 20 years old. According to The Sun, she is studying at university, and it is understood that she hopes to become a marine biologist.
But Beatrice still keeps a low profile and enjoys being private. Instead, it’s her father who occasionally provides some insight into her life and perhaps most importantly, his own role as a father. Earlier this year, Paul McCartney reflected on how his role as a parent has evolved over the years. The 81-year-old star reportedly wrote the following on his website, according to People magazine:
”As far as being a dad is concerned, 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. ”Now that they are older, they’re guiding me!”
”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,” McCartney continued. ”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!”
