Paul McCartney meets Heather Mills – 20 May 1999

Q: When did McCartney and Mills divorce?

Their divorce was finalised on 18 February 2008. The settlement awarded Mills £24.3 million.

Q: What was the Heather Mills Health Trust?

A charity (2000–2004) providing prosthetic limbs to landmine victims. McCartney's $240,000 donation was its first substantial contribution.

May 18, 2026

Paul McCartney meets Heather Mills – 20 May 1999

Thursday 20 May 1999 | Paul McCartney
Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London

Paul McCartney met his second wife Heather Mills for the first time on 20 May 1999 at the first annual Pride Of Britain Awards ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane, London. McCartney was there to present the Linda McCartney Award For Animal to Viva! founder Juliet Gellatley; Mills presented a bravery award to Helen Smith, who had lost both legs, one arm, and a hand to meningitis.

The Pride Of Britain Awards

The Pride Of Britain Awards were established in 1999 by the Daily Mirror to recognise extraordinary acts of courage, achievement, and public service by ordinary British people. The first ceremony was held at the Dorchester Hotel on 20 May 1999. The awards have since become one of the most prominent annual charity events in the British calendar, broadcast on ITV.

McCartney's presence at the ceremony was connected to his late wife Linda, who had died of breast cancer on 17 April 1998 — just over a year before this event. The Linda McCartney Award For Animal recognised individuals working in animal welfare, a cause Linda had championed throughout her life. The recipient, Juliet Gellatley, had founded Viva! (Vegetarians International Voice for Animals) in 1994.

Heather Mills

Heather Mills had lost her left leg below the knee in September 1993, when she was struck by a police motorcycle in London. She had subsequently become a prominent campaigner for landmine victims and prosthetic limb provision. At the Pride Of Britain ceremony she made an appeal on behalf of the Heather Mills Health Trust, which she was in the process of establishing. The trust operated from 2000 to 2004 and provided prosthetic limbs to people who had lost limbs after stepping on landmines.

The Relationship Develops

McCartney was intrigued by Mills' charitable work. A few weeks after the ceremony he left her a voice message offering to help, and contributed $240,000 — the first substantial donation the charity had received. That summer they stayed in touch. Mills broke off her engagement to freelance cameraman Chris Terrill two weeks before their planned wedding — her third failed engagement.

Mills was planning to release a single, 'VO!CE', with her sister Fiona to raise money for the charity. In November 1999 McCartney invited them to his Hog Hill Mill studio in East Sussex, where he added backing vocals to the song. Although the tabloids reported on McCartney's possible new relationship, both he and Mills denied it publicly. By the end of 1999 they were a couple.

Marriage and Divorce

McCartney proposed to Mills on 23 July 2001. They married on 11 June 2002 at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan, Ireland — McCartney's first marriage since Linda's death. They separated on 17 May 2006 and their divorce, which became one of the most acrimonious and widely reported in British legal history, was finalised on 18 February 2008. The settlement awarded Mills £24.3 million.

Hog Hill Mill

Hog Hill Mill is McCartney's private recording studio, built inside a converted windmill on his estate near Peasmarsh in East Sussex. McCartney has used it as his primary recording base since the 1980s, and it has been the site of sessions for many of his solo albums. Its rural location and private ownership have made it a favoured retreat from the commercial studio environment.

Key Facts: 20 May 1999

Event: First annual Pride Of Britain Awards
Venue: Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London
McCartney's role: Presenting the Linda McCartney Award For Animal to Juliet Gellatley (Viva!)
Mills' role: Presenting a bravery award; making an appeal for the Heather Mills Health Trust
McCartney's donation to Mills' charity: $240,000
McCartney's studio: Hog Hill Mill, Peasmarsh, East Sussex
Engagement: 23 July 2001
Marriage: 11 June 2002, Castle Leslie, County Monaghan, Ireland
Separation: 17 May 2006
Divorce finalised: 18 February 2008
Settlement: £24.3 million

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Paul McCartney meet Heather Mills?

On 20 May 1999, at the first Pride Of Britain Awards ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel, London.

When did Paul McCartney and Heather Mills marry?

On 11 June 2002 at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan, Ireland — McCartney's first marriage since Linda McCartney's death in April 1998.

When did McCartney and Mills divorce?

Their divorce was finalised on 18 February 2008, following a separation on 17 May 2006. The settlement awarded Mills £24.3 million.

What was the Heather Mills Health Trust?

A charity established by Heather Mills that operated from 2000 to 2004, providing prosthetic limbs to people who had lost limbs after stepping on landmines. McCartney's $240,000 donation was the first substantial contribution the charity received.

What is Hog Hill Mill?

Paul McCartney's private recording studio, built inside a converted windmill on his estate near Peasmarsh in East Sussex. He has used it as his primary recording base since the 1980s.