Who Is Stephen Hawking Wife
Introduction
Stephen Hawking’s wife was Jane Wilde, an English author and teacher born on March 29, 1944, in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. Stephen Hawking was the world-famous theoretical physicist and author of A Brief History of Time, celebrated for his groundbreaking work on black holes and cosmology despite living with a motor neurone disease for over 50 years.
Jane was his first wife and the mother of his three children, and she stayed by his side through the earliest, hardest years of his illness. Stephen Hawking later married a second time, to Elaine Mason, but it is Jane who is most closely tied to his public story and legacy. This article covers Jane Wilde’s life, her career, how she and Stephen met, their marriage, their family, and where she is today. A quick-facts table and FAQ section are also included for easy reference.
Who Is Jane Wilde Hawking?
Jane Wilde Hawking Jones was born Jane Beryl Wilde on March 29, 1944, in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, to parents George and Beryl Wilde. She grew up in a middle-class household in St Albans and was raised in the Church of England, remaining an active Christian throughout her life — a detail that later shaped how she coped with the pressures of caring for a seriously ill husband.
Jane attended school locally before going on to study modern languages, including French and Spanish, at Westfield College, part of the University of London. She earned her undergraduate degree there and later returned to academic life, spending years working part-time on a doctoral thesis on medieval Spanish poetry while raising a young family. She eventually completed her PhD in 1981.
Jane first crossed paths with Stephen Hawking as a teenager in St Albans, where they were introduced through mutual friends. At the time, she was preparing for university while he was already showing the early signs of the brilliant academic career that would define his life.
Jane Wilde Hawking’s Career and Professional Life
Professionally, Jane built a life around languages, teaching, and writing. After completing her PhD in medieval Spanish poetry, she worked as a language teacher, drawing on her academic training in French and Spanish.
Her most notable professional achievement, however, is as an author. In 1999, Jane published a memoir titled Music to Move the Stars: A Life with Stephen, detailing her three decades of marriage to Stephen Hawking, including the emotional and physical toll of being his primary caregiver as his illness progressed. She revised and republished the book in 2007 under a new title, Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen.
That memoir later formed the basis of the 2014 film The Theory of Everything, in which Felicity Jones played Jane and Eddie Redmayne played Stephen. The film brought Jane’s story to a global audience and earned Redmayne an Academy Award for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking. Jane has also written other works, including Cry to Dream Again and Silent Music. Her net worth has not been publicly disclosed, as she has largely stayed out of the spotlight compared to celebrity spouses in entertainment or sports.
How Did Stephen and Jane Meet?
Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde met in their shared hometown of St Albans in 1962, introduced through mutual friends at a social gathering. At the time, Stephen was a student at Oxford University, while Jane was preparing to begin her own studies in London.
Their relationship deepened quickly, but it soon faced an enormous challenge. In 1963, shortly after they met, Stephen was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease. Doctors gave him a grim prognosis, predicting he had only a few years left to live.
Rather than walking away, Jane chose to stay. The couple became engaged in 1964, fully aware of the uncertainty ahead. Their commitment to each other in the face of Stephen’s diagnosis became one of the most well-known parts of their story, later dramatized in The Theory of Everything. Jane has said that their engagement gave Stephen something to live for and fight for during a period when his future felt completely uncertain.
Marriage and Wedding Details
Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde married on July 14, 1965, in their hometown of St Albans, Hertfordshire. The wedding took place not long after Stephen’s diagnosis, at a time when many assumed he had only a short time to live.
Despite the circumstances, the couple built a full life together. Jane has spoken about how their early married years were filled with hope alongside hardship, as Stephen continued his physics research at Cambridge while his physical condition gradually changed. The marriage lasted 30 years, far longer than doctors had initially predicted, and Stephen went on to become one of the most recognized scientists of the 20th century during this time. The couple divorced in 1995, after which Stephen married his second wife, Elaine Mason.
Children and Family Life
Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde had three children together: Robert, born in 1967; Lucy, born in 1970; and Timothy, born in 1979. Raising a family while Stephen’s illness progressed placed enormous demands on Jane, who became his primary caregiver in addition to being a mother of three.
Robert Hawking works in the tech industry and has largely stayed out of public life. Lucy Hawking followed a more public path, becoming a journalist and author; she has co-written a series of science books for children with her father. Timothy Hawking has kept a relatively private profile as well. Jane has spoken openly about the difficulty of balancing family life, her own academic ambitions, and Stephen’s care, describing those years as both meaningful and deeply exhausting.
Jane Wilde Hawking on Social Media
Jane Wilde Hawking does not maintain a significant public presence on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or other major social platforms, and no verified follower counts are publicly available for her. This is consistent with her general approach to public life: she has shared her story mainly through her memoirs and occasional interviews rather than through social media. Readers interested in her perspective are better served by her published books or archived interviews than by searching for a social profile.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jane Beryl Wilde Hawking Jones |
| Date of Birth | March 29, 1944 |
| Birthplace | St Albans, Hertfordshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Profession | Author, language teacher |
| Married to | Stephen Hawking (1965–1995) |
| Marriage Year | 1965 |
| Children | Robert, Lucy, and Timothy Hawking |
| Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed |
FAQ Section
Q: What is Stephen Hawking’s wife’s name?
A: Stephen Hawking’s first and most well-known wife was Jane Wilde. He later remarried, to Elaine Mason, in 1995.
Q: How old is Jane Wilde Hawking?
A: Jane Wilde Hawking was born on March 29, 1944, making her 82 years old as of 2026.
Q: What does Jane Wilde Hawking do for a living?
A: Jane is an author and former language teacher. She is best known for her memoir about her marriage to Stephen Hawking, which inspired the film The Theory of Everything.
Q: When did Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde get married?
A: They married on July 14, 1965, in St Albans, Hertfordshire, just two years after Stephen’s ALS diagnosis. They divorced in 1995.
Q: How many kids do Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde have?
A: Stephen and Jane had three children together: Robert, born in 1967, Lucy, born in 1970, and Timothy, born in 1979.
Conclusion
Jane Wilde Hawking is best known as Stephen Hawking’s first wife, the mother of his three children, and the author whose memoir helped tell their story to the world through The Theory of Everything. Her three decades of marriage to Stephen were marked by both remarkable achievement and real personal sacrifice, as she balanced motherhood, academic ambitions, and caregiving during his early years living with ALS. While Stephen Hawking’s wife in his later life was Elaine Mason, it is Jane’s story that remains the most publicly documented and widely remembered part of his personal history.