Winslet and Mendes met when discussing theatre roles

They may be two of Britain's brightest young talents, but with no glossy magazine deal and no screaming fans at their wedding, they have continued their reluctance to buy into the cult of the celebrity couple.

Since getting together in November 2001, they have been seen at a sprinkling of premi�res and ceremonies, where their jobs have required them to put on a public face.

But apart from official engagements, they have been careful not to court publicity and be as normal as possible with Mia, Winslet's two-year-old daughter from her first marriage.

The actress shot to fame in 1997 as the romantic heroine in Titanic, the most successful movie of all time.

Winslet and Jim Threapleton divorced after three years

She was to meet her first husband, Jim Threapleton, an assistant director on her next film, Hideous Kinky, in 1998.

In interviews, she talked about spending the rest of her life with him and gushed about the "magical, untouchable world" for her family - until they split in September 2001.

At around the same time, Winslet met Mendes to discuss appearing at his hip Donmar Warehouse theatre in London.

Fresh from winning five Oscars for American Beauty, Mendes was the hottest new director in the UK and had recently split from actress Rachel Weisz.

It was only two months before the new relationship was confirmed, but Mendes pointed out that he was not the cause of Winslet's split.

"I was very careful to ensure that I was not endangering her marriage," he said.

"Indeed, it was already over, and I came along well after."

Their first public appearance together was in December 2001 at the New York premi�re of Winslet's film Iris, which earned her an Oscar nomination.

Winslet's daughter, Mia, is now aged two and a half

At the party, Winslet told a newspaper that the couple were "unbelievably happy".

After that, the tabloids had little to feed on but rumours and snatched pictures, and by mid-2002 there was talk of a possible break-up.

But that was scotched in August when they bought a house worth a reported �3.3m in Gloucestershire together.

And it was not until September 2002, at the premi�re of Mendes' film Road to Perdition, that they appeared in public in the UK.

By that time, rumours of marriage were flying.

"We're happy as we are at the moment," Winslet told reporters.

"I'm just happy spending time as a mummy - something I don't get to do very often."

Living arrangements

November saw a flurry of newspaper stories about an imminent wedding, but they have managed to keep the details of their private life remarkably private for such a well-known couple.

Their living arrangements attracted the most press interest before the marriage, with reports that she was selling her London flat and they faced local opposition to redeveloping their main house.

The fact that they have married is no shock - but, unlike many couples, they succeeded in keeping the press in the dark over the timing.