Penny Lancaster Celebrates 26 Years with Rod Stewart

has joked she 'deserves a medal' for her 26-year relationship with Sir as she marked their anniversary. 

The 55-year-old model, police officer and TV presenter opened up on her marriage to the Maggie May rock star, and revealed the secret to their long lasting romance in a new interview this week. 

She told Best magazine: 'Yes, 26 years! I deserve a medal, don't I? Only joking.

'We don't take each other for granted and make sure we have date nights together - dinner, the theatre or whatever, doing the school run together and having an 'a deux' coffee on the way home, long romantic walks together...

She added: 'We flirt with each other and make each other laugh.'

Penny explained that they try to 'keep the intimacy alive' when they get moments alone, and they love to mark their relationship milestones.

She continued: 'We're big on celebrating our anniversaries and really spoil each other.

'For instance, for our last wedding anniversary, we took a very romantic train trip from Paris to Portofino because Rod proposed to me in Paris and we got married in Portofino.

'We love reminiscing about our life together and also making plans for the future - more romantic trips.'

Penny also credited their long-standing love with having 'time apart' to 'keep the spark alive', and they're currently both excited to be reunited after three weeks apart.

She said: 'We're desperately missing each other and have been counting down the days.

'Rod generally has a driver pick him up from the airport, but I'm meeting him because we can't wait to see each other.'

The couple met back in 1999 when Penny was a student at Barking College, and Rod was performing. 

She continued: 'Right from the start of our 26 years together, we've spent time apart. The first year, for instance, I was in the UK studying photography while he was living in the US.

'We'd spend hours and hours on the phone, talking about everything - including photography and paintings.'

She also praised her husband's 'sensitive' side behind his public façade.

Penny said: 'Rod has a deeply spiritual, sensitive and artistic side. That's what he's like underneath it all. That's the real man.

'He can be quite demanding, and he does require a lot of attention, but that's fine because I'm good at giving it.'

The couple welcomed their first son, Alistair, 20, in 2005, before going on to tie the knot in 2007, and welcoming their second son, Aiden, 14, in 2011. 

Prior to welcoming two sons with Penny, Rod was already a father to six children from previous relationships.

The star put his first child up for adoption, Sarah, 62, whom he welcomed with his ex-girlfriend Susannah Boffey when he was just 17. He later formed a relationship with her.

He then had daughter Kimberly, 46, and son Sean, 45, with his ex-wife Alana Stewart and a daughter Ruby, 38, with his ex-girlfriend Kelly Emberg.