Heewon Ra (12) STAFF REPORTER
On Saturday, September 22, Lord Ivar Mountbatten tied the knot with partner James Coyle, in a private ceremony amongst the lavish greenery of Bridell Park, Devon.
Same-sex marriage has been legalized in the United Kingdom since 2014, with the exception of Northern Ireland. Soon after, in 2016, Mountbatten came out as homosexual. Despite being a member of the extended Royal family, being a third cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth II, Mountbatten is making history with the first ever same-sex marriage associated with the British Royals.
Mountbatten was previously married to Penelope “Penny” Vere Thompson for 17 years up until their divorce in 2011. Despite the separation, they continue to parent their three daughters Ella, Alix, and Lulli. Ex-wife Thompson also reportedly walked Mountbatten down the aisle, at the wish of his daughters. In an Instagram post, Mountbatten wrote: “Most importantly a massive thanks to my 3 gorgeous girls for being so understanding and supportive, without their support this could never have happened!”
The wedding ceremony remained very intimate, exclusively attended by close family and friends, with little publicization. Mountbatten mentioned he did not push for an official ceremony, yet he decided to have one for his partner. According to Business Insider, Mountbatten revealed: “I have had the whole marriage thing – and been very happy – but James hasn’t, so I see it as a validation of my love for him.”
Congratulations to the newly-weds!
