Katherine Jenkins: I want my little girl to have an ordinary upbringing

Katherine Jenkins says she wants her daughter to have a normal childhood — and will not post photographs of her online until she is old enough to decide for herself.

The Welsh singer is also keen to instil a strong work ethic in seven-month-old Aaliyah, passing on the influence of her own mother Susan, who was the breadwinner in the family.

Jenkins, 35, lives in south-west London with Aaliyah and her husband Andrew Levitas and has so far shielded their baby from the public eye. Asked if she would ever appear in a glossy photoshoot with Aaliyah, she replied: “No, no, no. I won’t be until it’s her decision, until she’s old enough to decide for herself. As a result that’s why I’ve not put any photos of her on Facebook or Instagram or anything. She’s going to be a normal baby.”

The singer has returned to the recording studio after maternity leave. She said: “I still surprised myself by wanting to come back. I didn’t know how I was going to feel, with it obviously being my first child. My view on it was that having been on tour for 11 years, I would want to take however long I felt necessary just to be at home and be with her. But when you have a child, especially a daughter, it makes you take a look at your own relationship with your parents. My mum was the breadwinner of the family and my dad was the house husband. She led by example and showed me an amazing work ethic and a dedication.

“Having a daughter has made me realise I also want to do that. I don’t want her to grow up and not know where the house has come from that we live in, and I want her to see that mummy’s passionate about something and has to be dedicated.”

Jenkins came under fire this week when she was denied permission to use part of a speech by the Queen on a track from her album, Celebration. She said she “totally” understood the decision, adding: “It was actually the idea of my record company (Decca). As far as I know, because I’ve not had much to do with it, they sought approval but because these things are in copyright, understandably there are certain restrictions on how you can use these things.”

The mezzo-soprano will sing at the Queen’s birthday celebrations at Windsor Castle next month.

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