Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000029513 StartFragment:0000021340 EndFragment:0000029473 <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-alt:"Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Open Sans"; panose-1:2 11 6 6 3 5 4 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870161 1073750107 40 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; color:windowtext;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} -->
David Beckham got everyone talking when he branded his 19-year marriage to Victoria 'hard work' earlier this week.
Admitting they've been through 'difficult' times, he described their union as 'complicated'.
You know your children they want your time and they deserve your time, and difficult situations like travelling away, being away from each other you know, you make it work," he told Australian TV show The Sunday Project.
And while Dr Becky Spelman - psychologist and We-Vibe's Relationship expert - reveals the language he used indicates they're no longer 'in love', she also believes there are certain things still holding them together.
"Over time, the initial passionate love that a couple typically feels at the outset of their relationship can mature into a calmer, deeper, and even more profound emotion. However, this does not happen automatically," she explained.
"It means sticking together when one member of the couple is unwell, learning to tolerate or even appreciate certain habits that you find challenging, and working together to keep the household or the family going, through thick and thin.
"There's a reason why the marriage vows ask a couple to promise to be there for one another in sickness as well as in health! Life can be challenging, and couples have promised to face those challenges together."
While Victoria is said to have been 'devastated' when she heard about her husband's comments, Dr Spelman believes David's feelings are not actually that unusual in long-term marriages.
"It means sticking together when one member of the couple is unwell, learning to tolerate or even appreciate certain habits that you find challenging, and working together to keep the household or the family going, through thick and thin.
"There's a reason why the marriage vows ask a couple to promise to be there for one another in sickness as well as in health! Life can be challenging, and couples have promised to face those challenges together."
While Victoria is said to have been 'devastated' when she heard about her husband's comments, Dr Spelman believes David's feelings are not actually that unusual in long-term marriages.
"With time, this heady, passionate love starts to change. This is inevitable.
"Living in close quarters with someone, seeing them at their worst as well as their best, dealing with the daily challenges of life, and the simple passage of time all come together to reveal our loved one's feet of clay. This is where the hard work comes in.
"In some ways, David Beckham has done his followers a favour. When celebrity marriages are depicted as all plain sailing, it can give people a false impression of what regular marriages are like.
"Similarly, when we see our favourite celebs getting divorced at the drop of a hat, we can pick up the impression that it's normal to ditch a relationship as soon as it starts getting difficult. "With time, this heady, passionate love starts to change. This is inevitable.
"Living in close quarters with someone, seeing them at their worst as well as their best, dealing with the daily challenges of life, and the simple passage of time all come together to reveal our loved one's feet of clay. This is where the hard work comes in.
"In some ways, David Beckham has done his followers a favour. When celebrity marriages are depicted as all plain sailing, it can give people a false impression of what regular marriages are like.
"Similarly, when we see our favourite celebs getting divorced at the drop of a hat, we can pick up the impression that it's normal to ditch a relationship as soon as it starts getting difficult.