Bindi Irwin Gives Birth To Baby Girl — Honors Late Father Steve With Her Name

Mar 29, 2021 by apost team

Congratulations are in order for Bindi Irwin and her husband, Chandler Powell! The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, on their wedding anniversary, and we can't think of a sweeter way to celebrate their first year of marriage together. The couple posted about their daughter's birth on Instagram, and it looks like the whole family is ecstatic about the little one's arrival. Bindi Irwin honored her late father, Steve, with her baby daughter's name. 

Born on March 25, 2021, Grace Warrior Irwin has already become the apple of the Irwin family's eyes. New grandmother Terri Irwin, 56, tweeted a congratulatory message for her daughter, while new uncle Robert Irwin is over the moon to start his "adventures"  with his niece. The close-knit family has carried on Steve Irwin's conservation legacy after his untimely death in 2006 and run the Australia Zoo today, continuing to uphold his mission of "Conservation Through Exciting Education." as per the official Australia Zoo website. 

Bindi and her husband first met in 2019 when Bindi gave his family a tour of the zoo. The couple dated for more than five years before Powell, an American, moved to Australia in 2018 and proposed to Bindi in 2019. The couple married in March 2020 in an intimate ceremony, which took place at the Australia Zoo. Powell has joined the Irwin family to continue Steve Irwin's legacy as well and works at the Australia Zoo. He is also part of the non-profit foundation, "Wildlife Warriors Program," which was founded in 2002 by Steve and Terri and continues to be run by Bindi today. 

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Bindi announced the birth of Grace and revealed that her daughter's name had been carefully chosen. "March 25, 2021. Celebrating the two loves of my life. Happy first wedding anniversary to my sweetheart husband and day of birth to our beautiful daughter. ❤️ Grace Warrior Irwin Powell."

She added, "Our graceful warrior is the most beautiful light. Grace is named after my great-grandmother, and relatives in Chandler’s family dating back to the 1700s. Her middle names, Warrior Irwin, are a tribute to my dad and his legacy as the most incredible Wildlife Warrior."

The Wildlife Warriors project was started in 2002 by Steve and Terri as part of the Australia Zoo "as a way to include and involve other caring people in the protection of injured, threatened or endangered wildlife - from the individual animal to an entire species." What a beautiful way to honor Steve Irwin! 

She continued in her post, "Her last name is Powell and she already has such a kind soul just like her dad. There are no words to describe the infinite amount of love in our hearts for our sweet baby girl. She chose the perfect day to be born and we feel tremendously blessed." 

Powell also posted a beautiful message for his daughter, "Grace Warrior Irwin Powell. After waiting for you to arrive for the last 9 months, finally meeting you has been the best moment of my life. You have a big life ahead of you and no matter what, you will be surrounded by a whole lot of love. Thank you for gracing your beautiful mother and me on our wedding anniversary, so excited to have you home❤️"

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Grace's arrival was also celebrated by her new grandmother, Terri, who tweeted a beautiful message of love for her daughter and new granddaughter, "Love is not a big enough word. My heart is so incredibly happy. And I know that Steve would be beyond proud. Grace is the next generation to continue his mission and message of conservation. She chose her parents wisely. Bindi and Chandler are already the best parents ever!"

Robert Irwin, 17, has also been active in his family's mission and legacy, and while he was very young when his father passed away, he has completely taken after his father and loves to keep his memory alive through their work. The Australia Zoo website states that "Robert is the mirror image of his father and loves photography, mountain biking and reptiles."

Robert was overjoyed to hear about the birth of his new niece and also posted photos on his Instagram page, writing, "Let the uncle adventures begin! Love you so much, Grace ❤️
This little one picked the two best parents in the entire world. The most incredible, caring and strong Mum... and the funnest, coolest and kindest Dad. Love you three so much - I can’t wait for this exciting journey ahead!"

We can already tell that Grace is going to be surrounded by love and support for the rest of her life! Both Bindi and Powell received a lot of support from her family when they first began dating in 2013. Powell told PEOPLE that his first impression of Bindi was that she was "amazing." 

The sweet duo revealed they are expecting their first child together in August 2020 with a photo uploaded on Bindi's Instagram, in which the couple held up a tiny Australia zoo shirt. In the caption, Bindi wrote that their "Baby Wildlife Warrior" is due in 2021.

"Though I'm still in my first trimester, we really want you to be part of our journey from the beginning of this new life chapter," Irwin captioned the post. "We couldn't wait to share the news as this beautiful little being has become the most important part of our lives. Your support means the world to us. Please let me know your best advice and send good vibes & prayers to our little sweetheart," she added.

Though we didn't know it yet, Bindi had been hinting at their baby's name all along! Grace's name is one of the ways that Bindi has kept her father's memory alive. She has paid tribute to him in other ways as well.

Bindi chose to keep her last name after marriage as a way to remain close to her father. "I've kept Bindi Irwin," she told ET's Lauren Zima. "I think that for me personally, after dad [Steve Irwin] passed away it was really important for me to feel close to him, and having his last name means so much to me."

Chandler added that they talked about the possible name change, but at the end of the day, she's "an Irwin through and through." "Chandler has become an Irwin now," Bindi said with a laugh. "It has become a part of me. Everyone has their own ideas, but the nice thing is that it's 2020 now, anything works!"

Bindi also stated in 2018 that Powell, who was then her boyfriend, had many qualities similar to Steve. “He loves wildlife and conservation and he has this strength,” Bindi said. “Which is necessary when you’re jumping on crocs.” She also added, “He’s done so well, I think he’s passed the Irwin family khaki test.” 

Bindi Irwin and Powell decided to get married at the Australia Zoo in part because they wanted to honor Steve Irwin and his legacy. "Where we got married was such a special place to dad," Bindi previously told PEOPLE in April 2020 of the couple’s intimate wedding.  

"It's a beautiful little area where he had filmed for many years. It felt really wonderful and just meant to be."

"We had dad's picture with his dog Sui blown up on an easel," Bindi added. "So mom and Robert were standing right next to dad as we exchanged vows. We had a candle-lighting ceremony for him, and it really felt like he was there with us. It was a lovely moment of peace and happiness."

The couple also posted a photo in January 2021 that recreated a very special photo of her parents. The photo featured husband Powell kissing Bindi Irwin’s baby bump alongside an older photo of the late Steve kissing Terri's belly when she was pregnant with Robert Irwin in the early 2000s. The side-by-side comparison is heartwarming to see. In these small but meaningful ways, Bindi has made sure to keep her late father a part of everything she does in her life.

The fact that she has taken on her parents' project and runs it today also goes to show that she kept her promise to her father after he passed away tragically in 2006. "I don’t want Daddy’s passion to ever end," she said in her eulogy at his funeral as per Huffington Post. "I want to help endangered wildlife just like he did." Today, she hopes that her father is proud of her for following in his footsteps. 

It is wonderful to see that today, Powell has joined Bindi in her efforts to keep her father's life's work going. Bindi has also said in the past that she is grateful to have Powell in her life. “I think I have found my one, and I’m so lucky,” she told PEOPLE in 2018. “He is always encouraging me to follow my dreams, reminding me to stand up for what I believe in. I’m truly proud of Chandler because he is always unbelievably kind and optimistic. He’s there [for me] no matter what.”

“I think Dad truly would’ve loved Chandler," Bindi told Us Weekly in September 2019. By then, the couple had been engaged already. She gushed about her then-fiance's "extraordinary" love, loyalty and support, adding that these qualities are what would have made Steve love Powell right away. 

Bindi and Powell found a beautiful way to honor both families with their daughter's name. We are sure that the happy couple are going to make wonderful parents, and that their life's adventures will continue to be incredible with the new member of their family by their side! 

Join us in congratulating the happy couple! Tell us what you think about this beautiful tribute to Steve Irwin and be sure to tell your friends and family about the happy news!