Celebrity Celebrity Family Celebrity Kids The Sweetest Photos of Madonna and Her Children The singer and her family — kids Lourdes, Rocco, David, Mercy, Estere and Stella — are as close as can be By Grace Gavilanes, Grace Gavilanes Grace Gavilanes is a former associate editor at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2018. People Editorial Guidelines Janine Henni, Janine Henni Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world's most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment. People Editorial Guidelines and Alexandra Schonfeld Alexandra Schonfeld Alexandra Schonfeld is a features writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since April 2022. Her work previously appeared in Newsweek. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 14, 2023 12:00PM EDT Madonna and all six of her children. . Photo: Madonna/Instagram While Madonna might be known as the Queen of Pop to much of the world, to Lourdes, Rocco, David, Mercy, Estere and Stella she's just mom! The "Like a Virgin" singer welcomed her first child, Lourdes, on Oct. 14 1996 and now has kids ranging in age from 27 to 11! In 2020, she honored all six of her children by getting her first tattoo — each of their initials — on her wrist. From Fashion Week appearances to family dinners, take a look back at some of the sweetest photos of Madonna and her kids. 01 of 36 Dynamic Duo Lourdes Leon and Rocco Ritchie. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty For 2023 Paris Fashion Week Rocco and Lourdes — who celebrates her 27th birthday today — stepped out in style. 02 of 36 When Worlds Collide Madonna and Beyoncé pose with their daughters. Madonna/Instagram Madonna secured her spot in the BeyHive when she brought her daughters to see Queen Bey during the Renaissance World Tour in August 2023. The two music icons posed backstage with their daughters in a photo shared to Instagram by the Desperately Seeking Susan actress. 03 of 36 Feeling Grateful Madonna and David. madonna/instagram Following news that Madonna had been hospitalized for a “serious bacterial infection" in June 2023, the singer shared a post on Instagram, thanking her kids for their support during the health scare. In the first photo of the batch, Madonna is seen hugging her son, David (above), and in another, she poses with Lourdes. “As a mother, you can really get caught up in the needs of your children and the seemingly endless giving,” she wrote. “But when the chips were down, my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference.” 04 of 36 Mother-Son Embrace Rocco Ritchie and Madonna. Mert Alas/Instagram The "Material Girl" singer celebrated her 65th birthday in August 2023 with a trip to Lisbon along with all six of her children. In one shot, shared to Instagram, the proud mama is seen embracing Rocco — whose birthday is just a few days before the Queen of Pop's. 05 of 36 Mama's Boy Madonna with Rocco Ritchie. Madonna Instagram And while celebrating her eldest son's 23rd birthday, Madonna shared a look back at sweet memories with "dearest Rocco" and wrote: "Life with You Has been an adventure." 06 of 36 Happy Graduates Madonna celebrates her twins' graduation. madonna/instagram; getty Madonna's youngest girls celebrated a milestone when they graduated elementary school in 2023. The proud mom shared a photo of Stella and Estere in their adorable blue cap and gowns along with the caption, "2 Kweens!!!! Happy Graduation!" 07 of 36 All in the Family Madonna celebrates Thanksgiving with all six of her children. Madonna/Instagram Madonna and her six kids were all dressed to the nines for their Thanksgiving celebration in 2022. She shared a collection of photos along with the caption, "What I'm thankful for." 08 of 36 Fashionable Trio Rocco Ritchie, Madonna and Lourdes Leon. Nina Westervelt/WWD/Getty Madge had two very special dates during New York Fashion Week in 2022 when she was accompanied by Lourdes and Rocco — who rocked some oversized shades alongside mom. 09 of 36 Milestone Birthday Madonna with twins Stella and Estere. madonna/instagram To celebrate her twins' 10th birthday, Madonna shared a sweet montage of memories along with the note: "Happy birthday Estere and Stella Mwale! 💖💖 You both bring so much Love- Laughter and Light ✨✨ into all of our lives!! 💕💕. I cannot believe you’re already 10 years old! 🎉🎉🎂🎂🌈🌈🦄🦄 🇲🇼🇲🇼" 10 of 36 Chilling by the Fire Madonna/Instagram "Last night was fire," Madonna wrote of her family's Fourth of July celebrations in 2022. 11 of 36 Family Vacation Madonna's family. Madonna/Instagram On Jan. 7, 2022, the singer shared photos from her snowy vacation in Saanen, Switzerland, including a family snap featuring all six of her children. "Farewell Gstaad……….We will never forget your Mountains or your Moonshine! ❄️⛷🏔🌙 💙🥲," Madonna captioned the carousel of photos from the trip. The group was also joined by Lourdes' boyfriend Jonathan Puglia and Madonna's boyfriend Ahlamalik Williams. 12 of 36 Birthday Reunion Madonna, Rocco Ritchie, Lourdes Leon and family. Ricardo Gomes The pop icon celebrated her 63rd birthday with her six kids by her side at a Byzantine-themed bash in August. Madonna is mom to sons Rocco Ritchie, 21, and David Banda, 16, whom she shares with ex Guy Ritchie; daughter Lourdes Leon, 25, whom she shares with ex Carlos Leon; plus daughters Mercy, 15, and twins Estere and Stella, 9. 13 of 36 Power Pose Rocco and his brother. Madonna/Instagram Love you, brother! The "Material Girl" singer shared a throwback of her sons striking a pose with traditional Zulu shields as part of an Instagram tribute for Rocco's 21st birthday. "We Have Been on many Trips together around the World 🌎🌍🌏 But the Greatest journey i have taken with you is the one inside my ♥️," she captioned the carousel. 14 of 36 Homecoming Madonna and her children with her father Silvio. madonna/instagram Party time! Five of Madonna's six gathered for grandfather Silivio's 90th birthday, a special celebration at Ciccone Vineyard & Winery in the singer's native Michigan. "My father is a survivor growing up as an Italian Immigrant in the US and living thru many traumas but always working hard for everything he had — He taught me the importance of hard work and earning one's way in life.............Again I thank you, 🙏🏼" she wrote in a post. 15 of 36 Making a Splash The twins. Madonna/Instagram The twins showed off their skateboarding skills and pedaled on a paddle boat on what Madonna summed up as a "happy day" — the end of a year of homeschooling! 16 of 36 Mommy and Me Madonna and Lourdes Leon. Madonna/Instagram "Like Pieces of your Heart Walking around outside of you," Madonna mused about motherhood, sharing a shot of her and Lourdes snuggling close for a selfie in the spring. 17 of 36 Sweet Selfie Madonna and Mercy. Madonna/Instagram It was a matching moment for mom and daughter when Mercy James and Madonna twinned in turquoise at her 15th birthday party. In another fun moments from the Instagram montage, the birthday girl gave her younger sister a hand with her skateboarding form — and beamed in a group pic with her mom, some of her siblings, and Rosie O'Donnell with family at the skatepark party! 18 of 36 Family Fun Madonna and her family. Madonna/Instagram Feeling the grateful for all her blessings, the seven-time Grammy winner gave a glimpse of her family's Thanksgiving celebration with all six of her kids by her side. "Beautiful Souvenir .............Giving Thanks," she wrote of a montage of home videos, adding the hashtag #everyday. Boyfriend Ahlamalik Williams also attended the festivities as well. 19 of 36 Anniversary Visit Madonna with her children. Madonna/Instagram Gang's all here! Madonna posted a photo with all six of her children in July 2018 as the group visited the Malawi hospital she built one year after its opening. 20 of 36 Like Mother, Like Daughter Stella. Madonna/Instagram Stella showed she already has her mom's style in an artsy February 2018 photo. 21 of 36 Capturing the Moment Madonna and Mercy. Madonna/Instagram In a January 2018 birthday message to Mercy, Madonna called her daughter a "rare and beautiful child." 22 of 36 Game Time David and the twins. David played proud big bro when his sisters came to his soccer game — and he scored two goals! 23 of 36 Proud Mama Mercy and the twins. Madonna/Instagram Madonna's pride in her children was evident in her Mother's Day 2018 photo. 24 of 36 Side by Side The twins. Madonna/Instagram "I can get through my day now!!" Madonna wrote alongside this bright shot of her youngest children — and so can we! 25 of 36 Seeing Double The twins. Matching outfits, matching headbands and matching snacks for Estere and Stella in this smiley shot. 26 of 36 Boat Day The twins. Madonna/Instagram In August 2018, Madonna shared a photo of her smiley twins, writing, "Lets Make America Great Again!!!!! Love all people. Embrace all people, Remember that This country was built by immigrants and most of all look up the word #ironic#sailboatvibes #rebelhearts #lovemakestheworldgoround" 27 of 36 A Good Cause Madonna with son David and daughter Stella. Thoko Chikondi/AP It was a family affair! Madonna planted a kiss on her daughter, Stella, as son David carried the tot during the opening ceremony of The Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care in Malawi. 28 of 36 Nap Time! Madonna, the twins and David. Madonna/Instagram The singer shared a sweet photo on both Twitter and Instagram that showed twins Stella and Estere sleeping on top of brother David while the trio dozed on a couch. Madonna was there too, sleeping on the couch's cushions alongside a fourth unidentified child. 29 of 36 Soccer Stars The twins. Madonna/Instagram Future sports superstars! Madonna's twin daughters geared up for soccer practice. 30 of 36 Big Smiles Mercy, David and the twins. Madonna/Instagram Estere and Stella wore matching butterfly pajamas while flashing their big smiles alongside older siblings Mercy and David. "Pajama Game on…The Revolution of [love] starts at home!" the singer captioned the photo with several crying-laughing emoji faces and a heart emoji. 31 of 36 Two of a Kind The twins. Source: Madonna/Instagram The legendary entertainer took to Instagram to share a photo of the twins rocking matching black-and-gold tracksuits with coordinating bow headbands. "Today's Blessing brought to you by Adidas!" Madonna captioned the sweet snap. 32 of 36 Playing Dress Up The twins. Madonna/Instagram Madonna's twin daughters are pint-sized fashionistas! The pop icon shared a sweet photo of her youngest girls striking a candid pose while trying on a brunette and blonde wig from their mom's collection. "Getting Ready For the week Ahead," she captioned the post. 33 of 36 Big Sister Duty Lourdes and the twins. Madonna/Instagram "3 Beauties! Lola spends time with twins, Stella and Estere at Home of Hope Orphanage," the songstress wrote, captioning a photo of her eldest with the twins. 34 of 36 Tight Squeeze Madonna and Mercy. Thoko Chikondi/AP In July 2017, Madonna opened Malawi's first-ever pediatric surgery and intensive care center, which she named The Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, after her daughter. At the opening ceremony, the pop icon opened up about Mercy, who was suffering from malaria when Madonna first met and eventually adopted the then-4-year-old girl. "I fought for Mercy, and I won. It wasn't easy," Madonna said. "And with the blood, sweat, and tears of so many people here today, we fought for this hospital — and we won. So I'm here to say: never, ever give up on your dreams. Never stop fighting for what you believe in. And finally: Love conquers all." 35 of 36 Special Moment Madonna with Estere and Stella. madonna/Instagram Double the love! Confirming Estere and Stella's adoption from Malawi in 2017, Madonna wrote, "I have completed the process of adopting twin sisters from Malawi and am overjoyed that they are now part of our family," she wrote alongside a photo of herself holding hands with her daughters. "I am deeply grateful to all those in Malawi who helped make this possible." 36 of 36 Important Visit David, Madonna and Mercy. Source: Madonna/Instagram Mercy, David and Madonna came together to promote the new Pediatric Surgery Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, in 2016. Close