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Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife) Biography: Age, Career,Family

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 2 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1951

Age67 (as in 2018)

BirthplaceUnited Kingdom

ProfessionNurse

NationalityBritish

Marital statusDivorced

SpouseDavid Mason (m. 1980–1995); Stephen Hawking (m. 1995–2006)

FamilyTwo sons; no daughters

Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife) Biography

Elaine Mason is a British nurse best known for her marriage to physicist Stephen Hawking. She worked as his caregiver beginning in the 1980s and later wed,

Early life and background
Elaine Mason was born in the United Kingdom in 1951. She is British by nationality and raised in the U.K.; details about her parents and siblings are not publicly recorded in the provided source. Mason’s stated religion is Christianity. Physical descriptions in public sources list her height at roughly 165 cm (about 5 ft 5 in), weight near 60 kg (132 lb), grey eyes and red hair.

Career
Mason trained and worked as a nurse. Early in her nursing career she worked with children at an orphanage in Bangladesh. By the 1980s she was employed as a caregiver to Stephen Hawking. Her work with Hawking continued over many years and led to a central role in his household and daily care routines.

Personal life and relationships
Elaine Mason’s first marriage was to David Mason, an engineer, in 1980; that marriage ended in divorce in 1995. She and David Mason had two sons together. In 1995, following Hawking’s separation from his first wife, Jane Hawking, Elaine Mason married Stephen Hawking; the couple remained married until their divorce in 2006. Mason and Hawking did not have children together.

Public profile
Mason became a public figure primarily through her connection to Stephen Hawking. Her time as his caregiver and subsequent marriage drew attention and media coverage. One notable cultural portrayal is Maxine Peake’s depiction of Mason in the film The Theory of Everything, which dramatizes aspects of Hawking’s life.

Controversy
Reports in the public record include allegations made by a former caretaker that Mason physically and emotionally abused Stephen Hawking. The provided material notes the existence of such accusations but does not include details of investigations, responses, or outcomes, so those are not detailed here.

Latest updates
As of the information provided, Mason’s basic biographical facts remain: born in 1951 in the United Kingdom, a nurse by profession, and a former spouse of Stephen Hawking. Other personal interests listed in the source include a non-vegetarian diet and traveling as a hobby.

Overview
Elaine Mason’s public identity is intertwined with her professional work as a nurse and caregiver and with her later role as the second wife of one of the 20th century’s most widely known scientists. Public sources emphasize her caregiving role, her earlier nursing work with children in Bangladesh, and the family relationships that have shaped her life narrative.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Portrayal in The Theory of Everything

Maxine Peake played Elaine Mason in the film The Theory of Everything, which is based on Stephen Hawking’s life.

2014
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Career Highlights

  1. Worked as a nurse and caregiver to Stephen Hawking beginning in the 1980s
  2. Nursing work with children at an orphanage in Bangladesh
  3. Married Stephen Hawking in 1995 and remained married until 2006
  4. Portrayed in the film The Theory of Everything
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife) born?

Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife) was born on 1951.

What is Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife) known for?

Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife) is known for nurse.

What is Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife)’s marital status?

Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife)'s marital status is listed as Divorced.

Who is Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife) married to?

Elaine Mason (Stephen Hawking's Ex-Wife) is publicly listed as married to David Mason (m. 1980–1995); Stephen Hawking (m. 1995–2006).