J.K. Rowling and Neil Murray Marriage Profile

J.K. Rowling has found happiness in her marriage with Dr. Neil Murray. Here's information about how the couple met, their wedding, children, and more.

Joanne Rowling: July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury which is near Bristol in southern England. July 31st is also the birthday of her famous wizard character Harry Potter.

Her nickname is Jo. The "K" in her author name was added when her publisher thought she needed a second initial. Rowling chose her grandmother's name, Kathleen.

Neil Scott Murray: June 30, 1971 in Scotland.

Murray and Rowling were introduced by a mutual friend in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2000.

Dr. Neil Murray has been described as an adult version of Harry Potter. He has short, dark hair, and wears round spectacles.

Ages at Wedding:

Rowling, 35; Murray, 30.

Joanne Rowling and Dr. Neil Murray were married on December 26, 2001, in the library at their home in Perthshire, Scotland. It was a private 20-minute ceremony. Rowling wore a cream couture outfit.

Among the 15 guests at the wedding were Rowling's father Peter and stepmother Janet, and Murray's father and mother, Ernest and Barbara.

The three bridesmaids were her daughter Jessica, Rowling's sister Dianne, and Murray's sister Lorna.

To keep the ceremony a secret, they hired caterers from Edinburgh, and a minister, J.S. Richardson of St. Columbia's Episcopal Church in Edinburgh.

Earlier plans to marry on a trip to the Galapagos Islands were cancelled after news leaks appeared in the press.

Both Rowling and Murray were married before.

• Jorge Arantes: Rowling married television journalist Jorge Arantes in Portugal on October 16, 1992. The couple divorced after a short-term marriage on November 30, 1993. Arantes was said to be both emotionally and physically abusive.
• Fiona Duncan: Murray was married in 1996 to Dr. Fiona Duncan, who he met in medical school. The couple separated in 1999, and divorced in the summer of 2001.

Rowling has three children.

• Miscarriage: Summer of 1992.
• Jessica Rowling Arantes: Born in Portugal in July 1993. Her father is Jorge Arantes.
• David Gordon Rowling Murray: Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in March 2003. His father is Neil Murray.
• Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray: Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in January 2005. Her father is Neil Murray.

Rowling graduated in 1987 from the University of Exeter with a degree in French and Classics. In July, 2004, she received an honorary degree from Edinburgh University.

In 1994, Murray graduated from the medical school of Glasgow University.

Rowling: Teacher (taught English in Portugal), billionaire author of the Harry Potter series of books. Rowling reportedly earned more than Queen Elizabeth II and has been named as the highest-earning woman in Britain.

Rowling was awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.)

Rowling supports charities that help victims of multiple sclerosis and one-parent families.

Murray: Anesthetist and GP who worked at St. John's Hospital and Edinburgh Hospital.

Purchased in fall of 2001, they have a six-bedroom, 19th-century (1865) home in Killiechassie house, Aberfeldy, Perthshire on the banks of the River Tay.

They also own an $11 million Georgian-style home with an underground pool and 24-hour security in Kensington, London.

Quotes About the Murray-Rowling Marriage:

Rowling, about her first marriage: "Obviously you don't leave a marriage after that very short period of time unless there are serious problems. And I had a baby with this man. But it didn't work. And it was clear to me that it was time to go. I never regretted it."
Source: Brendan Bourne. "JK Rowlings Marries Her Doctor Friend." Sunday Times of London. 12-30-2001.

Books By and About J.K. Rowling:

The "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling

"J.K. Rowling: A Biography" by Sean Smith