Avril Lavigne announces birth of her first child, a daughter

Canadian singer Avril Lavigne has had her first child, a daughter. The 42-year-old announced the birth on Instagram on 13 November, writing that her “princess” had arrived.

The post included three photos. One showed Lavigne's and her partner's hands holding the baby's tiny hand, another showed the singer cradling her daughter, dressed in a leopard-print onesie and matching headband, and the third showed three pairs of chequered Vans trainers, two adult-sized and one baby-sized, lined up on a skateboard. The skateboard is a nod to her hit Sk8er Boi, and US media have already called the baby a “skater girl”.

Lavigne has not revealed her daughter's name or exact date of birth, nor who the father is. A representative confirmed the news to the US broadcaster ABC News and said: “Avril has been enjoying time with her family while working on her new album and wants to thank the fans for all of their love.”

First child after two marriages

Lavigne rose to fame in 2002 with her debut album Let Go and the singles Complicated and Sk8er Boi. She was previously married twice: to Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley from 2006 to 2010, and to Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger from 2013 to 2015. The baby is her first child.