Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart have been married since 2007, and as the rock and roll legend marked his 81st birthday on Saturday, Penny was among the first to share a tribute.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, the mother-of-two shared a photo of the couple during a visit to Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy. The pair were seen posing together on the municipality's iconic red bench that sits with a stunning sea view.
The quirky bench carries two large red love hearts, one of which reads: "Santa in Love," and the duo could be seen cuddling up underneath the heart, as Penny added a sticker reading: "Happy birthday," to the image.
The star even captioned the image with one of her husband's songs, with the singer heard crooning Forever Young, which he released in July 1988.
© InstagramBoth Rod and Penny looked amazing in the scenic snap, with Rod rocking a funky blue outfit, alongside a clutch bag that featured a leopard-print strap and a tan sunhat, alongside a pair of trainers.
Penny, meanwhile, looked as gorgeous as ever in an eye-catching floral mini dress that showed off her never-ending legs. The 54-year-old added a clutch bag, pair of tan trainers and sunglasses to finish off her ensemble. She also wore her stylish blonde hair in bouncy tresses as she leant into her husband.
Rod and Penny's relationship
Rod and Penny have been married since 2007, but during an appearance on Anita Rani's My Life at Christmas last December, the pair opened up about the beginning of their relationship, with Penny noting how "delicate" she was due to Rod's children who were "ranging from all ages".
Rod also noted how his band leader, Carmine Appice, kept Penny's phone number away from Rod after the pair first met in order to allow him time to heal from his divorce from Rachel Hunter that he was going through at the time.
"He was an absolute gentleman, he was the band leader and bass player, and he kept her telephone away from me," Rod admitted. "He didn't think I was in the right position because I had just got a divorce and didn't know if I was coming or going and he said I will give it to you when I think you are ready."
Rod also got tearful as he spoke about the secret behind the pair's 18-year marriage. "I think the age difference, there are downsides to it, but there is a maturity I may have taught Penny and there is an honesty she has taught me," the rocker said wiping back the tears. "We do not argue before we go to bed and we do not argue after a glass of wine and if we do have arguments, it is over real quick."
© NurPhoto/ShutterstockPenny has never minded the age gap in her relationship, and speaking to us last year, she explained: "Maybe because he is 26 years older than me and has had a life that most haven't – he is worldly and has travelled and met so many people – I could draw from that and trust that his advice is coming not only from a good place, but also from experience
