John Lennon's first wife Cynthia died today at her home in Mallorca, Spain with her son Julian by her bedside. A message on Julian's website said she died "following a short but brave battle with cancer. Her son Julian Lennon was at her bedside throughout. The family are thankful for your prayers."

Born Cynthia Powell, in Blackpool, she met Lennon at art school in Liverpool in 1957 and the couple married just before Beatlemania transformed her husband from a jobbing musician into one of the most famous men in the world.

At the height of the Beatles' early success, she was kept so far in the background that many of Lennon's female fans were not even aware of her existence, and she stayed at home bringing up Julian while the Fab Four toured the world and topped the charts.

The couple divorced in 1968 after Cynthia discovered her husband's relationship with Japanese artist Yoko Ono.

In a tribute to lovely Cynthia Lennon, we present a small collection of rare black and white photographs of Julian and Cynthia Lennon with aunt Mimi Smith at a Park in 1967. These photographs were taken by Lennons’ housekeeper Dorothy Jarlett.