Bella and Yolanda Hadid share photos to mark first birthday of Gigi Hadid's daughter

The proud modelling family post rare images of Khai Malik, who turned 1 on Sunday

Bella Hadid, right, shares several images to celebrate the first birthday of Gigi Hadid's daughter, Khai. Getty

She's been largely kept away from prying eyes since she was born in September 2020, but a rare glimpse of Khai Malik has been shared by her family to mark the tot's first birthday.

The daughter of model Gigi Hadid, 26, and singer Zayn Malik, 28, turned 1 on Sunday, with the occasion celebrated by her proud family on social media.

Gigi's sister and fellow model Bella Hadid, 24, called Khai "the greatest gift our family has ever been blessed with" as she shared select shots of her niece on Instagram.

"I didn’t know my heart could grow this big! You make me smile when I’m sad and make me cry of happiness just because you're alive. I can’t wait to watch you grow into the most perfect specimen of all. Gigi and Zayn, thank you for my forever best friend," she wrote.

The model also shared a number of images that show Khai with various family members, though the child's face has been obscured with emojis.

Photographs include Khai in front of her towering birthday cake, decorated with rainbow dots and colourful bears, as well as shots of her cuddling with Bella.

Khai was born at the Hadid family's Pennsylvania farm on September 19, 2020, with Gigi revealing that Bella and her mother, Yolanda Hadid, were present at the birth, along with Malik.

Khai's grandmother also shared images of the child on social media to mark her first birthday, which showed her joining Yolanda on a series of farm errands.

The two can be seen feeding a calf, petting a goat and riding a small pony in the photographs.

"Happy first birthday to our angel Khai ... No words can express how much love and joy you have brought into our lives in just one year," Yolanda captioned the post.

"I had to grow a whole other heart to absorb it all, you are such a magical little being that brings us smiles and blessings every day. Thank you to your incredible mamma and bubba for the greatest gift of life!"

Gigi's father, Jordanian-Palestinian property developer Mohamed Hadid, also offered followers a look inside Khai's birthday party, posting several images from the day on Instagram.

The party was decorated with reams of colourful balloons, as well as gold inflatables that spelt out Khai's name, and a playpen of musical toys.

News of Gigi's pregnancy was first revealed last April, and the model later confirmed rumours to US chat show host Jimmy Fallon, saying the couple were “extremely happy and excited”.

The supermodel has since requested that the paparazzi respect the privacy she has been trying to create for her daughter, urging photographers to blur Khai's face in images.