Sir Derek Jacobi is getting married to his long-term partner

Derek said of their plans: "We are doing it because we want to.

"There's no public reason. We love each other and we want to.

"We're great friends, we support each other, whatever I've lacked he provides and vice versa. We just get on."

The 79-year-old actor believes the key to his long relationship with Richard is humour.

He said: "A sense of humour is essential. You stay much healthier if you can laugh.

"A sense of end-up and not taking things too seriously, seeing the funny side of things... It's a great help because it makes one less pompous, it takes the pomposity out of everything."

The 'Breaking the Code' actor has known he was gay from a very young age, but never had any problems accepting his sexuality.

He told Gay Times magazine: "I knew I was different. I knew that as soon as I became a thinking creature.

"That to me was the deck I'd been dealt. That was fine. I accepted it and carried on. I didn't fight against it. I accepted it and took what it offered."

And Derek remembered feeling "relief" when homosexuality was part decriminalised in 1967.

He recalled: "I suppose like everybody I felt relief. I felt a sense of relaxation, of not having to be wary, a sense of acceptance of being part of the whole, which I hadn't been before. I knew what I was and who I was.

"All my friends and family knew and that was it, you know.

"I suppose when it became legitimate that I could join the bigger family, that was a great relief and a great comfort."