ROYAL NEWS

The First Ever Gay Royal Wedding Has Been Announced

Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, will marry James Coyle later this summer.


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Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images

Pride Month is really stepping it up this year. Not only is Amandla Stenberg out and proud, but Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, has just announced that he and his partner, James Coyle, will marry in a small ceremony later this summer. It won’t be a grand affair but a small, intimate ceremony befitting the two men in their mid-fifties. This is the first ever same-sex marriage in the extended Royal Family.

And the story gets even more heartwarming. In an interview with The Daily Mail, Lord Mountbatten explained that he did love his ex-wife, Penny, and that their wedding day was one of the happiest of his life. He was even open with her about his sexuality, but felt that he couldn’t come out because of his parents and the general homophobia in society. He was even bullied for his perceived homosexuality as a kid, and was convinced that he could never live openly. But now that he and Penny are divorced and he’s found a man to love, all is well, and his ex wife will even walk him down the aisle.

Penny and Lord Mountbatten share three daughters who, according to the article, Coyle considers his children as well. In fact, the adults are all close as well. “You and I have got on from the first ten seconds of meeting each other, haven’t we?” Penny asked Coyle during the interview.

In this “very modern marriage,” there was no proposal per se, just an agreement that the two men would marry. Lord Ivar explained, “I really wanted to do it for James…He hasn’t been married…For me, what’s interesting is I don’t need to get married because I’ve been there, done that and have my wonderful children; but I’m pushing it because I think it’s important for him…James hasn’t had the stable life I have.” And then he looked at his love and said, “I want to be able to give you that.”

Related: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Refusing $9.3 Million Worth of Wedding Gifts

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Meghan Markle with her mother Doria Ragland (unseen) drive down the Long Walk as they arrive at Windsor Castle ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Meghan Markle (R) with her mother Doria Ragland drive down the Long Walk as they arrive at Windsor Castle ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Meghan Markle arrives for her wedding to Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Meghan Markle arrives for the wedding ceremony to marry Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales marries Ms. Meghan Markle in a service at St George’s Chapel inside the grounds of Windsor Castle.

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Queen Elizabeth II arrives at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Queen Elizabeth II arrives at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Doria Ragland arrives at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Meghan Markle arrives at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Prince Harry (left) walks with his best man, Prince William Duke of Cambridge, as he arrives at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for his wedding to Meghan Markle, on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Prince Harry and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Prince Harry (left) walks with his best man, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge as they arrive at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh rrives at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Princess Anne, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence arrive at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Amal and George Clooney arrive at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Sarah, Duchess of York arrives at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Abigail Spencer and Priyanka Chopra arrive at the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian attend the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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David and Victoria Beckham attend the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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David and Victoria Beckham (both right) talk with Sir Elton John (L) and David Furnish (C) as they arrive in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Julia Carey and James Corden attend the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre followed by Oprah Winfrey (fourth right) arrive at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Lady Kitty Spencer arrives at the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Cressida Bonas arrives at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Actress Gina Torres (Markle’s former costar on Suits) arrives at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Oprah Winfrey arrives at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Socialite Delfina Blaquier arrives at the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer and Karen Spencer arrive at the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Sofia Wellesley and singer James Blunt arrive at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry’s ex, attends the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.

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