Dame Helen Mirren and director Taylor Hackford will be married 25 years this December.

They were together for about a decade even before they got married!

Mirren talked about their marriage for PEOPLE’s 2022 Beautiful Issue.

The publication asked Mirren how her husband makes her feel beautiful.

“Oh, he doesn’t,” Mirren said. “I don’t think he ever makes me feel beautiful.”

“It’s not necessary,” she added. “That’s not what I love him for, honestly.”

She advised anyone in a relationship to take it seriously, adding that, “It’s work.”

“A really important part of love is to maintain your own sense of identity,” she said.

“And it's very important to allow the person you love to be who they are — even if [sometimes] you don't like it very much,” she added.