Lady Penny Lancaster-Stewart has revealed after sharing a "bumpy road" she and her husband Sir Rod Stewart's ex-wife Rachel Hunter are friends.
Penny Lancaster and Rachel Hunter with family (c) Instagram
The statuesque blonde began dating the rock legend back in 1999 shortly after he split from his second wife Rachel, and although the relationship between the two women was frosty at first they have formed a close bond due to the fact they share a family.
Speaking on 'Loose Women' on Thursday (04.05.17), Penny - who married Rod in June 2007 after his divorce from Rachel was finalised in November 2006 - said: "From the beginning it was a bumpy road. I just wanted it great for their (Rod and Rachel's) children - Renee, 24, and Liam, 22. They both have done extremely well. Renee is a dancer and Liam is playing hockey for Great Britain. Rachel and I have grown up and got more in common now. We both sit there and chat about general life like most people do. We got over that silly period."
The 72-year-old singer has eight children with several different women, including sons Alastair, 10, and five-year-old Aiden, with Penny, 46.
Rachel, 47, was the first wife or girlfriend to leave Rod and when the break-up occurred it was reported that the 'Baby Jane' singer was heartbroken.
When the photographer embarked on her romance with Rod, Penny admits she didn't just fall in love with him but also with his kids and he determination to make things work between her and model Rachel was that she wanted her own children when they were born to share that close bond with their half-siblings.
Penny said: "That was the first time he had been left. He had done the leaving in the past so it was a different scenario for him. Life has moved on. We have grown up. I know it wasn't just a man I fell in love with it was the whole family. My heart went out to all the children. I could see the relationship Rod's children had with each other and I wanted my children to have the same relationship. Adults had to be adults. I am a bit of a peace maker and a diplomat and it's worked."
Tagged in Rachel Hunter Rod Stewart Penny Lancaster