Penny Lancaster has humorously declared she 'deserves a medal' for her enduring 26-year relationship with rock icon Sir Rod Stewart, as the couple celebrated their anniversary this week. The 55-year-old model, police officer, and television presenter opened up about her marriage to the Maggie May singer, sharing intimate details and the key ingredients to their long-lasting romance in a candid new interview.
Celebrating Milestones and Keeping Romance Alive
Speaking to Best magazine, Penny Lancaster quipped: 'Yes, 26 years! I deserve a medal, don't I? Only joking.' She emphasized that the couple actively works to maintain their connection, stating: '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 that flirtation and laughter are crucial components, explaining: 'We flirt with each other and make each other laugh.' Penny highlighted their commitment to celebrating relationship milestones, noting: 'We're big on celebrating our anniversaries and really spoil each other.'
A Romantic Journey from Paris to Portofino
For their most recent wedding anniversary, the couple embarked on a sentimental train journey from Paris to Portofino. Penny revealed the significance: 'Rod proposed to me in Paris and we got married in Portofino.' She described how they cherish both reminiscing about their past and planning future adventures together.
The Importance of Time Apart
Penny Lancaster credited their successful relationship partly to having 'time apart' to 'keep the spark alive'. Currently, after three weeks of separation, she expressed their excitement to reunite: 'We're desperately missing each other and have been counting down the days.' She plans to personally meet Rod at the airport, breaking from their usual routine, because they cannot wait to see each other.
This pattern of separation has been present since the beginning of their relationship. Penny recalled: '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.' They maintained their bond through lengthy phone conversations discussing everything from photography to paintings.
Seeing the Real Rod Stewart
Penny praised her husband's deeper qualities, saying: 'Rod has a deeply spiritual, sensitive and artistic side. That's what he's like underneath it all. That's the real man.' She acknowledged his demanding nature but added: 'He can be quite demanding, and he does require a lot of attention, but that's fine because I'm good at giving it.'
Family Life and Meeting Story
The couple first met in 1999 when Penny was a student at Barking College and Rod was performing. They welcomed their first son, Alistair, now 20, in 2005, married in 2007, and had their second son, Aiden, now 14, in 2011. Prior to this, Rod Stewart was already a father to six children from previous relationships.
Interestingly, their romance almost didn't happen. After exchanging numbers, Rod didn't contact Penny for nine months. His band leader, Carmine Appice, withheld her number, believing Rod wasn't ready following his divorce from second wife Rachel Hunter. Rod joked: 'I should of fired him, but I couldn't!' Penny emotionally recalled: 'Carmine had kept that telephone number away from him. He said 'you are going to go a bit crazy over the summer and let your hair down, and Penny seems like a nice girl.''
Penny initially thought she would never see Rod again, processing photos from his concert as a lovely memory. Fortunately, their delayed connection blossomed into a quarter-century of love, laughter, and enduring partnership.
