Rod Stewart's wife Penny Lancaster says she 'deserves a medal' for 26-year relationship

In a new interview with Best Magazine, the 55-year-old mother of two opened up about her relationship with the rock legend and revealed how they manage to "keep the intimacy alive" after nearly two decades of marriage.

"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 said. "We flirt with each other and make each other laugh."

Lancaster said they "keep the intimacy alive" by celebrating each other and the big milestones they reach in their relationship.

"We're big on celebrating our anniversaries and really spoil each other," she said. "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."

But the biggest secret to their success? Having "time apart," says Lancaster.

Lancaster said that really "keeps the spark alive."