The Queen of pop has shared picture of the twin girls she's adopted from an orphanage in Malawi, several months after meeting them for the first time.
Yesterday, Madonna posted a picture to Instagram of her four-year-old adopted twin daughters, Stella and Esther, who she adopted from the Malawi Home of Hope orphanage in Mchinji, near the western border with Zambia.
In the photo's caption, she wrote: : 'I can officially confirm I have completed the process of adopting twin sisters from Malawi.'
The photo shows Stella and Esther wearing matching blue dresses with printed white hearts, while Madonna sports a yellow, printed dress and straw hat.
The 58-year-old singer added that she is 'overjoyed that they are now part of our family' and thanked those involved in helping her complete the adoption process.
'I am deeply grateful to all those in Malawi who helped make this possible, and I ask the media please to respect our privacy during this transitional time. Thank you also to my friends, family and my very large team for all your support and love,' she added.
The photo comes a day after a Malawi court granted permission to the 'Express Yourself' singer for the adoption, after she admitted she felt 'duty-bound' to care for the young girls after discovering information about their backgrounds through her charity work.
According to the BBC, the twins' mother died soon after giving birth while their father married another woman, leaving their grandparents to bring up the twins and their siblings.
Despite Judge Fiona Mwale revealing the performer was 'above the age normally considered within the ranges of parenting', Madonna had supplied medical evidence to prove she was in good health and was found to be able to supply a loving home for the children in ;a luxurious, spacious and comfortable abode in an affluent neighbourhood' in the US.
'Her charity work brings her into contact with orphanages... and it was as a result of this contact that she felt compelled to fill a gap in their lives and open up her home to them,' the judge added.
Madonna first met the twins last summer when she visited the orphanage with her eldest daughter, Lourdes.
At the time, she shared a photo of her now four daughters on Instagram, with the caption: 'Three beauties! Lola spends time with twins, Stella and Esther at Home of Hope Orphanage.'
She previously denied to the Guardian that she was considering adoption, speaking via a publicist to say: 'I am in Malawi to check on the children's hospital in Blantyre and my other work with Raising Malawi [her charity], and then heading home. The rumours of an adoption process are untrue.'
In another post to social media, Madonna urged her fans to donate and support orphanages in Malawi, writing: 'There are 650 Orphans at Home of Hope where Esther and Stella have lived for four years since they were five days old.
'Run by the generous and compassionate Rev. Chipeto and his daughter Lucy, Raising Malawi has been working with HOH for over 10 years since I met my son David there.
'If you would like to get involved by volunteering or donations go to. RaisingMalawi.org. Every little bit helps!!!' she added.
The songstress has two adopted children from Malawi: David Banda and Mercy James. She also has two biological children, Lourdes Leon and Rocco Ritchie.
Congratulations, Madonna.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
