Pattie's parents had three other children: Colin in 1946 Helen Mary (aka Jenny) in 1947, and Paula in 1949. In 1952, Diane and Colin were divorced. Diane took the chidren back to England. She remarried around 1953 to Robert Gaymer-Jones and had two sons named David J.B. , born in 1954, and Robert, Jr. (known as Boo) in 1955. Colin also remarried and had children with his second wife. His other children never knew that their father had had another family until a news report was heard by them on the radio in the car when their mother was taking them to school and flipped out. They suspected something and later found out that Pattie, Colin, Jenny, and Paula were their siblings.

After she finished religious school, Pattie went to London in 1962. Pattie got into modeling after working as a hairstylist. One of her clients asked her if she was interested in modeling. She happened to be a modeling agent and Pattie's first test shots were taken the next day. Jenny later became a model in 1965 and married Mick Fleetwood in the early 1970s, and from there went on to form Fleetwood Mac (they later divorced). Pattie traveled to the world's fashion capitals. Pattie modeled in Paris for Mary Quant and was an ambassador to "cool Britannia" in New York City. She hung with people who always had the latest trends, such as model Jean Shrimpton and photographer David Bailey.

She landed a commercial deal with American director Richard Lester, who wanted her to be the Smith's Crisps Girl. She was in TV advertisements and did promotional appearances in London. Lester was working on a film with the Beatles called A Hard Day's Night. He was inspired by her work ethic and gave her a small role in the movie as a schoolgirl named "Jean" in the train scenes. Her part was shortened to the line "Prisoners?" and a little appearance with some other cast schoolgirls in another dialogue scene and the music scene "I Should Have Known Better." It would be her last acting role and she stated, "I'm quite happy modeling."

Pattie brought her sisters on the set to get the Beatles' autographs. She asked Paul and Ringo for theirs, but not John's, as she was afraid of his sarcasm. When she got to George, he put one kiss under Paula and Jenny's, but put seven under hers. "George hardly said hello. When we started filming, I could feel him looking at me and I was a bit embarrassed," Pattie recalls. He offered her a visit to his trailer, but, Pattie remembers, "I was loyal, not stupid." George then proceeded to ask her on a proper date. She said yes. She secretly dated him, but then found it necessary to break up with her boyfriend and modeling agent of two years, 30-year-old photographer Eric Swayne.

Pattie remembers, "We were just motoring along [to Brian Epstein's party] listening to the radio when suddenly he very calmly told me he loved me and wanted us to get married. I think I just said yes or some such nonsense, but believe me, inside I was doing cartwheels. We really were very much in love." They were married on January 21, 1966 at Leatherhead and Esher Register Office in Epsom, Surrey. Paul and Brian Epstein shared the best man duties. John and Ringo were on holiday with their wives, but sent telegrams wishing them the very best.

Pattie was ordered by George to give up her modeling career because he didn't want any more press. She tried to get involved in charity, but the press made a huge issue out of it, so instead, she was forced to become a stay-at-home wife and give up her career for the sake of George's.

Pattie and George tried to have children, but did not have any success. She was told that she could never have children. Pattie was willing to adopt, but George said no.

On March 12, 1969, Paul's wedding day, George and Pattie were busted for marijuana possession. They were remanded on bail at Esher and Walton Magistrates' Court. They were later fined £250 on the charge.

In 1965, George's friend Eric Clapton, who was dating Pattie's sister Paula at the time, met Pattie at a club, and instantly fell in love. He wrote the song "Layla" about her, and would later do the same with "Wonderful Tonight." When Paula listened to "Layla" in the studio with Eric, she knew that the song was about Pattie and left him. He wanted her to go with him, but she refused, saying that she was devoted to staying with George, even though they both had affairs. He had serious drinking problems and a heroin addiction, which almost killed him. Pattie ran away with him, after having a huge argument with George. George wanted to patch it up, but it was too late. They were divorced on June 9, 1977.

Eric and Pattie were married on March 27, 1979 at Bethel Temple Assembly of Faith in Jesus Christ in Tuscon, Arizona. The ceremony was conducted entirely in Spanish. Attendees inculded Paul, Ringo, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Denny Laine, David Bowie, and, surprisingly, George. Paul, Ringo and George sang at the wedding. It was a semi-Beatles reunion.

After they were married, Pattie had a serious drinking problem, and Eric had drug addictions. The thing that devastated Pattie was that she could never have children after trying in vitro fertilization, which never worked for them. Eric had two children with other women, which was one event that led up to their divorce in June 1988.

Pattie is a photographer and lives a low-profile lifestyle in London.