Actress Helen Mirren says she is resigned to the fact that romance will never be a big part of her relationship with husband Taylor Hackford.

But the Oscar-winner isn’t complaining – far from it. She says her husband gives her loyalty and honesty, which in her book is more important than wine and roses.

“Taylor isn’t romantic, but what I get on the other side is so much better,” she says in an interview with Yours magazine, published this week. “Loyalty and truthfulness – I’d take those qualities over romantic evenings any time.

“I have the incredible advantage of having a husband who is both loyal and understanding. In return, I give him back loyalty and understanding, too. We couldn’t be married without that.”

She added: “He is tremendously supportive of me and my career, too. He gives me strength and I do the same for him...He’s proud of my successes and he’s sympathetic when things aren’t successful. If they aren’t, he’ll say ‘You were great, darling’ and I do likewise.”

Helen Mirren isn’t the first person to admit that romance isn’t a big part of their marriage. Many long-standing couples will vouch for the fact that romance fizzles out over time and is replaced with less exciting feelings and emotions. But that doesn’t mean the relationship isn’t working. Quite the opposite: knowing you can rely on your partner to support and understand you, through the bad times as well as the good, is a vital ingredient of a strong marriage.

There is a tendency in today’s culture, which is increasingly geared towards instant gratification, to believe a relationship has run its course when the romance fades or disappears. I have heard clients try to justify their adultery by saying the “spark” had gone out of their marriage.

Well, sparks do go out of marriages: but if you have a solid friendship, are supportive of each other and share the same values and aims in life, you should count yourself lucky.

I have come across many people who traded in their marriages for a heady fling – only to regret it when that heady fling becomes, well, a bit like the marriage they left behind.

There are a plethora of reasons why people want to end their marriages, but the lack of romance shouldn’t be one of them. Life is tough – especially in today’s precarious economic climate – and having someone by your side who is loyal, caring and supportive is very important.

So, if you’re thinking about ending your marriage because the fizz has gone out of the Champagne, take stock and think about all the other aspects of the relationship that do work well. It might not be great – but often it’s good enough.