Penny Lancaster has opened up about her relationship with Sir Rod Stewart in her new memoir, revealing the singer quit cocaine and changed his stance on marriage and children to be with her. The 54-year-old model and photographer says she prefers to describe their 26-year relationship as 'nurtured' rather than claiming she 'tamed' the rock star.
In the early days of their romance, Lancaster gave Stewart an ultimatum after he was photographed with model Caprice Bourret in 1999. She told him: 'If you want to date all these women go ahead, but just so we're clear it's not for me.' Stewart replied: 'Okay, let's give it a go.' He initially insisted he did not want to marry again or have more children, but Lancaster made clear she wanted a baby eventually.
The couple's relationship deepened over time, with Stewart surprising Lancaster by buying her a wardrobe of short dresses for a holiday in Barbados, reflecting his well-known fondness for legs. However, Lancaster found it challenging to integrate into Stewart's complicated family life, which included children from his previous marriages. She wrote: 'I found having to immerse myself in Rod's complicated private life was not without its difficulties and tensions. His past relationships felt like a juggernaut thundering towards me.'
In September 2004, Stewart shocked Lancaster by saying: 'Let's make a baby.' He agreed to quit cocaine, which he had used recreationally, saying: 'I want to be healthy, for us to stand the best chance.' Lancaster fell pregnant but suffered a miscarriage. Shortly after, Stewart proposed at the Eiffel Tower, quipping: 'For Christ's sake say something Pen! I'm on my dodgy knee!' The couple now have two sons, Alastair, 19, and Aiden, 14.
