Irene’s family ranges from 2 months to 23 years old (Photo: Taylor Michael Media)
Welcome back to How I Parent, where we get a glimpse into how the nation is raising their kids.
This week we meet Irene Major, 43, a mother to nine children who lives with her oil tycoon husband, Sam Malin, in a sprawling estate in Kent.
The British-Cameroonian influencer and reality star, who called herself ‘Queen of Ingress Abbey,’ says she’s always wanted a large family – and may not stop with her current brood.
‘I come from a very large family myself, I am the seventh of nine children,’ Irene tells Metro.co.uk.
‘My Mother, God bless her, well and truly passed on the baton. Now I’ve matched my Mother, with that exact same ratio of nine kids!’
‘I always knew I wanted to have children, I just didn’t know how many it would be! I feel blessed.’
Irene now has enough children for a small football team (Photo: Irene Major Instagram)
Irene prefers to give birth at the famous Portland hospital favoured by Meghan Markle, Victoria Beckham and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
‘I prefer to call it the Portland Spa! I’ve given birth to eight of my nine children at The Portland Hospital, delivered by some of the world’s most renowned doctors,’ she says.
‘It is luxurious inside, and I’ve become such a regular there that they treat me like a celebrity! And the idea of popping a bottle of champagne after giving birth is a major plus point!’
Baby Oscar is the newest arrival (Photo: Taylor Michael Media)
But are there plans for any more new arrivals?
‘We will never say never. If it is God’s will, the answer to that is all in God’s hands.’
Back home, her nine children have ample room to roam and play in the sprawling estate, situated in the heart of the Kent countryside.
‘Ingress Abbey is a beautiful Grade II listed property, built in 1833, that has been used as a film set in the past,’ she explains.
‘We are very blessed to call such an attractive place home. But we take very seriously our role as owners of this stunning historic property.
‘I actually met the late Queen at an exclusive party a few years back. We had a long conversation, and it was one of the most memorable moments of my life.’
Irene shares snippets of her like to her 123’000 followers (Photo: Taylor Michael Media)
Irene’s day-to-day life includes managing school runs, the estate, and organising birthday parties, which happens on an almost monthly basis.
‘I love the chaotic life. But it’s all organised chaos! There’s such a vibrant mix of personalities in our household, a real hot pot of bubbly characters,’ she says.
‘There is never a dull moment, and always lots of fun. With eleven of us in our family, we can now field our own football team, Ingress United!’
With so much going on, Irene doesn’t have a particular parenting style, but she has adopted a few tricks to help her family and children.
‘I come from a military background, and both my husband, Sam, and I had simple, humble, loving upbringings’, she notes.
‘I have a spiritual, Mother Earth attitude to life, thanks to my own Mother, which is underpinned by structure and organisational skills inherited from my father, who was a soldier in the Cameroon army.
‘We do have staff including a live-in nanny for our newborn Oscar, as well as drivers, chefs and butlers on hand if we need them.
‘But while we want to provide our children with as many opportunities as possible, a key priority of ours is to make sure the kids are grounded, that they understand the value of money and are aware of their privileges.
‘We endeavour to not let them become too spoiled.’
Irene’s children love to play on the family’s large estate(Photo: Instagram)
Irene says her children love roaming the house and one of their favourite games is hide and seek, but she does have some set rules.
‘We have certain areas of the house they are allowed to play in – just so we don’t wind up losing a child in the cellars!
‘All in all, it is a fun, loud house, which the children love playing indoors, and in the estate’s vast gardens.’
While her children love to play, Irene herself loves to shop and has a vast collection of Hermes and other designer goods.
‘I prefer to visit brick and mortar shops, rather than shopping online, and what I buy is never just to be stored away forever,’ she says.
‘I live and breathe fashion. Children will eventually fly the nest, but the bags will always stay!’
Irene modelling at Ingress Abbey (Photo: Veronika Marx)
Irene shows off her designer outfits on shows including Channel 5’s Billionaire Babies, which she appeared on, as well as This Morning. Four months after giving birth, she posed for Playboy magazine.
‘I have always set myself the goal of slipping back into my favourite outfits after a pregnancy,’ she says.
‘So when I received the call from internationally published burlesque photographer, Veronika Marx, who was in charge of the cover shoot, I was extremely flattered and honoured.
‘It’s definitely an iconic moment in my life and my belief is we are all beautiful. So why not celebrate, commemorate and embrace our beauty in all aspects and times of our lives.’
Irene loves to attend social occasions with her husband Sam (Photo: Instagram)
When she’s not posing for shoots or being a busy parent Irene, enjoys a rare flutter at the races and attending British social occasions.
‘Royal Ascot is my definite go-to event. I love everything about it, the glamour , the clothes, the top hats, and ladies and gents all glammed up. It’s spectacular! And of course, horse racing and betting are at the core of it.’
And is she worried others will judge her luxury lifestyle? Not a chance.
‘My husband and I built what we have through focus and hard work,’ she says. ‘It’s all about dreams and believing in them. This girl from Africa has achieved all of this. I’m living the dream.’
‘I’m living the dream.’