The Queen’s gay cousin says royals ‘don’t talk about’ his marriage to another man
Ivar Mountbatten and James Coyle on their wedding day (Instagram/ivar_mountbatten)
The Queen’s cousin, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, has revealed that the Royal Family don’t discuss his relationship after he married a man last year.
Lord Mountbatten, 56, made history in September 2018 when he became the first royal to have a same-sex marriage.
The father-of-three separated from his wife in 2011, having struggled with his sexuality throughout their relationship. He is the first member of the extended British Royal Family to come out publicly as gay.
He is now happily married to Scottish flight attendant James Coyle, whom he met while skiing.
Ahead of their first wedding anniversary, Mountbatten and Coyle opened up to Tatler magazine about how their relationship was received by the famous family.
Asked if his decision to come out had been good for the royals, Mountbatten replied: “Well, you would hope so!” before adding: “But then they don’t really talk about it. I mean, the royals, they don’t communicate very well.”
Mountbatten and Coyle on holiday in Mexico (Instagram/ivar_mountbatten)
Unlike his first marriage there were no Royal witnesses to the wedding, although the Earl and Countess of Wessex reportedly sent their warmest wishes.
Fortunately his immediate family have been entirely supportive, including his ex-wife Penny, who along with their three daughters still lives with the newly-weds at the Mountbatten family home in Devon.
“I think they like having another man in the house,” Mountbatten said of his daughters. “Better than a stepmother who could have turned out to be a step-monster.”
The younger royals have shown an acceptance of LGBT+ lifestyles, including Prince William who recently said he would be fine if any of his children were gay.
And Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were the first royals to celebrate Pride Month, with a moving tribute to Princess Diana and LGBT+ campaigners around the world.
Their widely-shared Instagram post read: “This month we pay tribute to the accounts supporting the LGBTQ+ community – those young and old, their families and friends, accounts that reflect on the past and are hopeful for a deservedly more inclusive future.”
It adds: “We stand with you and support you Because it’s very simple: love is love.”
