George and Amal Clooney have been happily in love for over a decade and recently celebrated their ten-year wedding anniversary.
The couple, who are also parents to seven-year-old twins Alexander and Ella, began dating in secret back in 2013 and the Oscar-winning actor, 63, and the human rights lawyer, 46, have looked back on their love story in interviews since then.
George and Amal have also spoken about their early romance days, including their unconventional first date which prompted their relationship to "escalate".
In a previous interview, George lifted the lid on the first time he and Amal went on an official date, which happened not too long after they first met at a dinner party he hosted for friends at his villa on Lake Como in Italy.
Amal was brought along by a mutual friend and George revealed he was enchanted by his future wife the minute he saw her.
George and Amal's personal first date "escalated" their relationship
Like many couples, George and Amal enjoyed a romantic dinner for their first date.
However, unlike most couples, the pair actually spent some time at one of the most iconic music venues in the world before they headed out for their meal. The intimate meeting was a personal one for George who was working on a big project at the time.
The sweet and unconventional story was told in a profile of the actor in The Hollywood Reporter. Writer Stephen Galloway reported: "In October 2013, Clooney invited Amal to visit him at London’s historic Abbey Road Studios, where he was supervising the recording of the score for his 2014 release Monuments Men."
George explained the unusual meeting place further: "That was a good first date. Then we went for dinner. She said, 'Let's go to this place.' It was one of those places that was incredibly hip and chic."
The Wolfs actor added: "And when we came out, there were 50 paparazzi there. But she handled it like a champ. And pretty quickly, things escalated once I was in London."
Amal has also reflected on their courting days in previous interviews, explaining how they kept things low-key in the beginning due to the high level of interest in their relationship.
In her 2018 profile with British Vogue, Amal's cousin, Miknas, recalled how the barrister kept things under wraps when she began dating George, telling her relative over a private dinner: "The worst part is, I really like him. And he's coming tomorrow!"
Amal's cousin then responds: "I said, 'What are you going to do? It's not like you can meet in Starbucks and have a chat. It's not going to be that easy.' She's like, 'I know'."
It seems the Hollywood couple have handled the attention like professionals, but they do take measures to ensure they can enjoy a quiet life.
Amal also shared how she and George prefer hosting at home when it comes to socialising so that they can avoid attention when they go out in public. They've also deliberately chosen their prime locations to ensure as much privacy as possible.
They have a quiet, well-protected home in the English countryside where locals are so used to them that they leave them alone. Amal and George also experience a similar peaceful vibe down in the south of France, specifically in the sleepy town of Brignoles in Provence, where they bought a Chateau in 2021.