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It's a big birthday month in the Material Girl’s household!
Just a week after she posted an adorable birthday snap of her 21-year-old son, Rocco Ritchie, and almost two weeks after celebrating her 63rd birthday, Madonna paid tribute to her twin daughters, Estere and Stella, with a sweet series of photos on Instagram in honour of their ninth birthday.
"Happy Birthday Stella and Estere!!!!" she wrote in the caption, followed by a series of emoji of cake and pizza and hearts and gifts.
"2 Beautiful Souls ………. who bring nothing but Joy to everyone they meet. So Grateful to have them in my life."
The Madame X singer shared several photos of her beloved girls at various ages. The twins are shown together in every picture, looking into the camera, taking naps on a bed, hugging each other, preparing for soccer games, with colour extensions and so on.
Stella and Estere, who were welcomed via adoption from Malawi in February 2017, are part of the singer's extensive family of biological and adopted children.
Madonna’s biological children are Lourdes Leon (24), who she shares with celebrity personal trainer Carlos Leon, and Rocco, who she shares with ex-husband, director Guy Ritchie.
The twins are not the first of Madge’s kids adopted from the southeastern African nation. She also raises Malawi-born David Banda (15) and Mercy James (15).
Madonna met David and fell in love instantly during a visit to Malawi in 2006, when she was working with her non-profit charity organisation, Raising Malawi.
David’s adoption incurred a strong public reaction, as Malawian law requires would-be parents to live in the country for one year before adopting. Further controversy was added to the adoption when news broke that David still had a biological father living in the country.
The legal requirements were waived for the Swept Away actress who told Oprah Winfrey at the time that there were no written adoption laws regulating foreign adoption.
The fallout led to a fractious relationship between the pop icon and authorities from Malawi.
In 2013, Malawi accused Madonna of "bullying state officials", exaggerating her contribution to the country and demanding VIP treatment.
Madonna's manager accused Malawi's government of having a "grudge" against the singer's charity, Raising Malawi, which she founded in 2006, the same year she adopted David.
In 2009, the country's high court again rejected Madonna's application to adopt a girl, on the grounds that she had not lived in the country for the now-required 18 months. But that didn't stop her from fighting for then-three-year-old Mercy, and the Supreme Court eventually overturned the earlier court decision.
"I am a rebel heart. But I am also a compassionate and intelligent human being," Madonna said. "And if you cannot give me a logical reason for the word 'no', then I will not accept the word 'no'."
However, in 2017, Malawi granted the singer permission to adopt again.
"It's inexplicable," she said at the time of what drew her to Stella and Estere, who were from the same orphanage as David.
"It's like saying, 'Why do you fall in love with the people you fall in love with?' You look into the eyes of somebody, you feel their soul, you feel touched by them — that's it."
The musician also opened up about how her older children adapted to their expanded family at the time.
"There might have been [a feeling of], 'Oh, we have to share you with more people' – not jealousy, but an adjustment," she said at the time. "Eventually everyone was supportive. Lola said, 'Mom, if that's what you want and it's going to make you happy, let's go'."
The star, who is currently dating 27-year-old dancer Ahlamalik Williams, credits her brood for giving her perspective on life.
"(Having children has) reminded me how precious time is, and how each child requires attention and vigilance and guidance in a different way," she admitted in a 2019 interview.
"Really, you have to be ready for anything. They teach you to stop being obsessed with yourself, 'cause they're always there to throw a wrench into the works."
Sources: people.com, dailymail.co.uk, today.com, mirror.co.uk, theguardian.com
