“ What's The Difference Between A Leap Of Faith In Physics And A Leap In Religion?” - Jane Hawking

Known as the wife of the brilliant Professor Stephen Hawking for 30 years, Jane Hawking tells us her own story

- Joy Persaud

Jane Hawking’s voice is soft as she speaks about her extraordinary life, which was brought to the big screen in 2014’s Oscar-winning film, The Theory of Everything.

From her young husband Stephen’s two-years-to-live diagnosis, to sacrificing her early career, not to mention hostility from academics, Stephen’s carers and his mother, Jane has faced myriad challenges.

So how did the young woman from St Alban’s cope with the trajectory her life took when, at just 21, she married an aspiring astrophysicist who quickly became a household name, feted by the public as the possessor of the world’s best brain?

The source of Jane’s strength seems rooted in her upbringing. She describes her parents as “darlings” and says her Christian faith has helped her persevere.

“I think my parents were rather taken aback, but they were very supportive of me when I married Stephen, and my mum, Beryl, encouraged me to keep faith as the way forward,” she says.

“And, of course, there was Stephen and his determination and brilliance, and I wanted to give him as much support as I possibly could because I believed in his theories and he thoroughly justified it. And then, there were my tiny children and they were the most beautiful children anyone had ever seen. They kept me going. But it was pretty hard.”

She recalls her childhood dreams of becoming an air hostess, following her father George into the civil service, or joining the foreign office, but these hopes “went out of the window” when she met Stephen at a party in 1962 and, two years later, became engaged.

“Stephen had been given two years to live so I thought I could perfectly well give two years of my life to this person I loved—he was obviously very clever and I wanted to help him fulfil his ambitions.”