Avril Lavigne surprises fans with baby announcement: ‘Our mini princess has arrived’ - The Independent

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Avril Lavigne has welcomed her first child, the Canadian singer-songwriter announced on Friday.

The news surprised fans as the 42-year-old artist had kept the pregnancy secret and shared no recent relationship details. The rock star, famous for tracks such as Girlfriend and Sk8r Boi, revealed the birth of her baby girl through an Instagram post.

She published several monochrome pictures, including a close-up of her holding her newborn's hand. The musician was also pictured holding her infant, who wore a leopard-print onesie alongside a matching headband.

A third picture showed two pairs of adult checker-print Vans next to a mini pair resting on a skateboard.

The singer captioned the picture set: "Our mini f****** princess has arrived."

Lavigne first found fame at age 17 during the early 2000s following her debut album, which contained hit singles like Complicated, Sk8er Boi and I’m With You.

Famous for her alternative grunge style, she went on to release hits including My Happy Ending, What The Hell and When You’re Gone.

Across her multi-decade career, she earned eight Grammy nominations and achieved three UK number-one albums: Let Go, Under My Skin and The Best Damn Thing.

The artist has been married twice, first to Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley in 2006 at age 21, before the couple parted ways in 2009.

She later married Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger in 2013, announcing their split in 2015.

The star has also been linked with other prominent figures, including musician Mod Sun, rapper Tyga, reality personality Brody Jenner and guitarist Jesse Colburn.

Lavigne has not publicly disclosed the father's identity or confirmed whether she is currently in a relationship.