Keira Knightley and Husband James Righton’s Relationship Timeline: From First Dates to Parenthood

A relationship full of pride — not prejudice. Keira Knightley and her husband James Righton’s romance is still going strong after more than a decade. The Pirates of the Caribbean star met the musician through a mutual friend in 2011. It didn’t take long for the pair to know they were The One for each other, as they got engaged one year later in May 2012. While she was thrilled to be marrying the love of her life, Knightley admitted in November 2021 that she was stressed by the wedding planning process. “The problem is, ever since [the engagement] happened, everyone keeps going … ‘So when is it going to happen, and what’s the dress like?’” the Pride and Prejudice star explained on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I’m just not one of those girls that’s had the kind of fantasy wedding thing, so we haven’t planned anything and it’s all quite terrifying.” Despite her fears, everything worked out in the actress’ favor. She and Righton tied the knot during a small ceremony in the South of France in May 2013. “It was a very moving ceremony,” an eyewitness told Us Weekly at the time. “Keira looked emotional during the whole thing. She cried when they exchanged their vows but was still smiling.” Righton opened up about the couple’s nuptials during an interview with his band The Klaxons before the group disbanded in 2015. “I just fell in love with someone who happens to be amazing. We had a beautiful wedding and there was a lot of love,” he gushed to NME after the ceremony. Us confirmed in December 2014 that the couple were expecting their first child. The following February, Knightley joked about her birth plan with Ellen DeGeneres. “There’s a whole birthing plan [in place], but what is the plan, apart from to get it out?” she hilariously shared on the comedian’s daytime show. “My plan is to get it out.” The Atonement star also poked fun at her husband, telling DeGeneres that she would use her pregnancy to force him to attend awards season events with her. Knightley starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the 2014 Oscar-nominated film The Imitation Game. “I’m [telling him], ‘You have to come with me, support me!’” she joked. “There’s a lot of free champagne [at events], so he thinks because I’m not drinking, he has to. I’m eating for two and he’s drinking for two.” Knightley gave birth to daughter Edie in May 2015. The pair welcomed their second daughter, Delilah, four years later. Ahead of her and Righton’s 10th wedding anniversary in May 2023, the Begin Again star joked that “it’s a miracle” she and her husband were still together. “Yeah, we made it. We made it,” she said on The Drew Barrymore Show in March 2023. “We have two children, and we’ve made it a decade.”Sign up for Us Weekly's free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more! Scroll below to relive Knightley and Righton’s sweetest relationship moments: