Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is set to become a great-grandfather for the first time after his model granddaughter Ella Richards announced she is expecting her first child.
The Burberry campaign star shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday, posting a striking black-and-white photograph showing her cradling her growing baby bump. The post quickly drew congratulations from friends across the fashion and entertainment worlds.
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Among those sending their well wishes were model Stella Maxwell and fellow model Jade Parfitt, who commented with red heart emojis alongside the word “Congratulations”. Actress and model Lady Clara Paget also offered her support, as did Poppy Delevingne.
The baby will mark a new milestone for Keith Richards, making the legendary guitarist a great-grandfather for the first time.
Richards, now 82, is best known as one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones, the iconic British rock band he formed alongside Sir Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman in London in 1962. Over the decades the band has become one of the most influential and successful groups in music history, with Richards’ distinctive guitar style helping define the sound of rock ’n’ roll.
While Richards is entering the great-grandparent stage of life, fellow Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger reached that milestone earlier. Jagger became a great-grandfather in 2014, when his granddaughter Assisi Jackson — the daughter of jewellery designer Jade Jagger — welcomed her first child.
The announcement also shines a spotlight on the next generation of the Richards family. Ella Richards, who has built a career in modelling, is the daughter of Marlon Richards, one of Keith Richards’ children from his long relationship with the late model and actress Anita Pallenberg.
Pallenberg was a major figure in the 1960s and 1970s rock and fashion scene, closely associated with The Rolling Stones during the band’s most turbulent and creative years. She and Richards were together for more than a decade and had three children, including Marlon, who was born in 1969.
Ella’s mother is Lucie de la Falaise, a former model and stylist with deep ties to the fashion world. She is the niece of Loulou de la Falaise, the legendary muse of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, who was widely regarded as one of the defining style icons of the 1970s and 1980s.
Growing up surrounded by both music and fashion royalty, Ella Richards has carved out her own career in the modelling industry. She has worked with major fashion houses including Burberry, appearing in campaigns and runway shows while building a reputation as part of a new generation of fashion models with strong industry pedigrees.
Her partner, Sascha von Bismarck, comes from an aristocratic European family, further adding to the mix of rock, fashion and high society surrounding the couple’s growing family.
For Keith Richards, the news represents another chapter in a remarkable life that has spanned more than six decades at the centre of global rock music. Known for classic Rolling Stones hits such as “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Paint It Black,” and “Start Me Up,” Richards has long been celebrated as one of the most influential guitarists in modern music.
Despite his reputation during the band’s wild early years, Richards has also built a large family over time. He has five children and several grandchildren, with the arrival of Ella’s baby marking the next generation of the Richards family tree.
The upcoming birth will also extend the legacy of one of rock music’s most famous families — meaning that before long, the Rolling Stones icon will officially add great-grandfather to his long list of life milestones.
