Aylmer Duo: Biracial Twins That Look Like Complete Opposites

When Donna and Vince Aylmer walked into the doctor’s office to confirm they were pregnant with baby number four, they got a bit of a surprise: twins! Double the trouble, is what they say. Anyway, this was big news for the couple.

Welcoming Twins

Although nothing prepared either parent, or the staff, for the delivery of their daughters who were born with totally different skin tones. And if you think they look different now, wait ’til you see them as adults!

Mom and Dad

January 16, 1997, in Gloucester, England is when twins Maria and Lucy Aylmer were born. While their parents were married then, they would eventually divorce. Moreover, both parents come from different ethnic backgrounds which explains the difference in skin color for the Aylmer twins – just in a different way than we think.

Background

Despite the fact that Donna is half Jamaican and Vince is Caucasian, they would have expected to welcome mixed skin tone babies, not one white and one black daughter. But hey, life never quite works out as we expect it to.

Non-Identical Twins

First, Lucy and Maria are non-identical twins who were born from separate eggs, therefore they did not inherit all of the same genes. Additionally, their mom comes from a mixed Jamaican heritage, which is where she got her Afro-Caribbean and white skin. But no one ever anticipated that Lucy and Maria would be so different.

A Surprise

During an interview with the Daily Mail, Lucy spoke about her mother when she delivered the twins, “It was such a shock for her because things like skin color don’t show up on scans before birth. So she had no idea that we were so different. When the midwife handed us both to her she was just speechless.” Yeah, we get it!

Dress Up

Just like most twin babies, Donna would dress up Maria and Lucy in the exact same, matching outfits. Which often would confuse people as they appeared to be unrelated, based on looks alone of course. Even from birth, the Aylmer twins never looked alike so most people assumed they were not from the same family – of course no believed they were twins either!

The Aylmer Twins & Their Siblings

Why yes, the Aylmer twins do have siblings who are not twins! There are their two older brothers, George (25) and Jordan (23). Whereas their sister Chynna is 24 – she shares the same complexion as the older brothers. Whereas Lucy is pale white and Maria has a darker skin color.

Differences

At 18, Lucy spoke to a Daily Mail reporter and said, “Our brothers and sisters have skin which is in between Maria and I. We are at opposite ends of the spectrum and they are all somewhere in between. But my grandmother has a very fair English rose complexion, just like mine.” Now what else is different for the Aylmer twins?

Mis-Match

Let’s talk about eyes and hair for a minute – one of Maria and Lucy’s stark differences. Starting with Lucy, she has blue-green eyes with gorgeous red hair, heck she could pass off as an Irish gal. Then there’s Maria with her chocolate, dark brown eyes and dark brown hair – in fact, Maria’s hair is a thick web of curls on curls.

Opposites

Speaking of hair though – When Maria sat down with Inside Edition, she admitted that, “I used to cry about it. I hated my curly hair.” On the other hand, Lucy despised her pale skin. Actually, people at schol would often tease Lucy for her skin color, “They thought I was adopted and called me a ghost,” she said, while wiping tears away during the Inside Edition video interview.

No Mistakes

“We were in the same class, but no one had a problem telling us apart. Twins are known for swapping identities, but there was no way Maria and I could ever do anything like that,” Lucy says. Guess the Aylmer twins never got to bank on some of those tricky, fun twin perks (i.e. tricking teachers!). So what else did the non-identical twins miss out on?

Psychic Connection

Of course as twins, Lucy and Maria were asked if they had a psychic bond to which they replied with a sound “No.” With that being said, they do sometimes feel physical pain in the same place at the same time! Weird but okay.

Straight, Please

First of all, the differences in looks is pretty clear but Lucy revealed that with age, she would straighten her hair, despite those incredible natural curls. Although Maria has long embraced her ringlet curls. Has anything else changed or remained the same?

Changes

When the Aylmer twins turned seven, they put their foot down! How do we mean? Well they told their mother that it was time to stop to dressing like in identical outfits as they weren’t identical twins. “We don’t look alike. So why should we have to wear the exact same thing?” Lucy said. From that moment on, everything changed. Especially as they’re now both in college…

Today!

Here they are, folks! Lucy and Maria, the then 18 year old twins. Even now, it’s hard to tell they’re twins but one thing is clear, they’re both beautiful! Just take a look at some more jaw-dropping photos from their most recent interviews…

Twinning…

As you can see from the photos, the Aylmer twins have a very different sense of style. Presumably Lucy prefers a more, edgy dark look while showcasing her many piercings. Whereas Maria is more professional, sophisticated, and clean cut. Although Maria has admitted that she knows how to dress “boho” – but what about their personalities? Any similarities there?

Personality Wise

In her interview with Inside Edition, Maria admits that she is the more outgoing one but Lucy has gotten better over time. “I love meeting people,” Maria says, “I’m not scared to approach people.” Whereas Lucy admits, “I’m terrified of going up to random strangers.” Then after, Lucy reveals that the duo weren’t always so close…

Twin Bond

“I think if we’d looked similar or even identical, then the bond between us would have been stronger when we were younger,” Lucy once admitted adding, “But Maria and I had such different personalities, too. She was the outgoing twin whilst I was the shy one.” Hmm, is this what happens when twins don’t look alike?

Without The Bond

When it comes to physical appearance, taste in fashion, and personalities, it’s clear the Aylmer twins are very different. Furthermore the Aylmer twins do believe that if they were identical twins, that there would be more similarities. So, that just begs the question “are they close now?”

Stronger Than Yesterday

“Now we have grown older, even though we still look so different, the bond between us is much stronger.” Now the twins admit they’re best friends who have embraced their differences but are so thrilled with the feedback from their incredible story. But what about the rest of the world?

Two Peas In A Pod

Unlike most twins, the Aylmer twins are different, in fact Lucy said, “Most twins look like two peas in a pod – but we couldn’t look more different if we tried. We don’t look like we have the same parents, let alone having been born at the same time.” Believe it or not, but most people don’t believe either twin when they say they’re related. Not even their friends!

Nah, Not True

Maria revealed to Inside Edition that one of her friends saw her TV interview and then asked her, “You’re really a twin? That’s really your sister?” Her friend actually “didn’t believe” her when she had first told her that she had a twin! That’s crazy. Now when it comes to college, the Aylmer twins are very different…

College Days

As far as college is concerned: Lucy goes to Gloucester College where she is an art student while Maria is currently pursuing law at Cheltenham College. “Maria loves telling people at college that she has a white twin – and I’m very proud of having a black twin,” said Lucy. As such, the Aylmer twins have since said they love sharing their story.

But It’s True

“No one ever believes we’re twins,” Lucy said in an interview. “Even when we dress alike, we still don’t look like sisters, let alone twins. Friends have even made us produce our birth certificates to prove it,” she says further. Wow, seems crazy to have friends such as that!

Comments By The Press

In 2015, the twins were in the middle of a bit of controversy after Sunrise host Armytage actually congratulated red-haired Lucy for getting “her dad’s fair skin,” saying “good on her”, while her twin sister, who has a darker complexion, just looked on. Armytage’s co-anchor even gave her a worried, stunned look.

Support

However, Lucy and her family both believe that Armytage’s comments were merely misinterpreted by viewers. Her family believes it was supposed to be a comment of solidarity instead of racially offensive. Furthermore, she feels that Armytage’s quip was just an attempt to show the likeness between them, even adding, “I’m sure she’d make the same comment if it was about hair colour, for example, if she too was a red head or had Maria’s texture hair.”

Apology

Armytage has since apologized for the comment, saying to the Daily Mail, “I would be mortified if anyone thought I would say or think anything racist. It’s not in my nature. To anyone who I might have offended, I’m sorry.”

Petition

Long before the apology, thousands of people began a Change.org petition. In fact some 3,000 actually signed the petition! However after Armytage apologized, some of the people who signed the petition thanked Armytage for the apology issued and have gone on to accept that mistakes happen.

Lucy Speaks

Lucy actually posted on social media an apology to Armytage, see below Lucy pictured with a pal, saying, “I apologize to her for any distress it may have caused.”

Running Start

While the Aylmer twins have their differences, nothing will stop their festive friendship. Whatever comes their way, they’ve got each other’s backs – as sisters always do.