Meet Lord Ivar Mountbatten, the first openly gay British royal: King Charles’ second cousin stars in Season 3 of The Traitors, but did you know his ex-wife walked him down the aisle at his second wedding?

Jun 20 , 2024

Lord Ivar Mountbatten, the first openly gay British royal. Photo: @ivar_mountbatten/Instagram

A distant relative of both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth, 61-year-old Lord Ivar has appeared on reality TV before – in Keeping Up with the Aristocrats and Treasure Island with Bear Grylls

Mountbatten married James Coyle in 2018 at his Bridwell Park estate and his ex-wife, who’s the mother of his 3 daughters, gave him away – a move that seems very modern even beyond royal standards

Lord Ivar Mountbatten is the first known member of the extended British royal family to be in a same-sex marriage.

A direct descendant of Queen Victoria, the 61-year-old is King Charles’ second cousin. He tied the knot with Lady Penny Mountbatten in 1994, before they split up in 2011. Seven years later, in 2018, he married airline cabin services director James Coyle at his Grade I listed home in Devon, Bridwell Park – a historic moment for the royal family.

Lord Ivar Mountbatten and his husband James Coyle. Photo: @bridwellpark/Instagram

Now, the British aristocrat is starring in the upcoming season of The Traitors – a US reality TV competition series on Peacock where contestants play a murder mystery game – alongside Britney Spears’ ex-husband Sam Asghari and Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval.

Before he finds fame stateside though, he’s also located an investor for Bridwell Park at last – his magnificent country house that he’d put on the market some years ago – according to British media.

So what else do we know about the first openly gay British royal?

How is Lord Ivar Mountbatten related to the British royal family?

Lord Ivar Mountbatten (back right) with members of the British royal family, including Queen Elizabeth (front second left), Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh (front left), and their son Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex (front centre), in 2004. Photo: HRH Countess of Wessex

Born on March 9, 1963, in London, Ivar is the son of Janet Mercedes Bryce and the late David Mountbatten, Third Marquess of Milford Haven. According to his website, he’s the first cousin once removed of Prince Philip and the third cousin once removed of the late Queen Elizabeth. It’s safe to say he’s close to the House of Windsor.

What does Lord Ivar Mountbatten do?

Lord Ivar Mountbatten sporting a casual summer look. Photo: @ivar_mountbatten/Instagram

Apart from living the posh and prim life of an aristocrat, Mountbatten previously worked as a geologist and director of the SCL Group, a British behavioural research and strategic communication company.