It must be 2018 because we have awoke royal wedding to be thankful for. In case you're wondering, no we are not talking about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding which took the world by storm last month. Sure, it was just as incredible and made for some stellar news, but this upcoming royal wedding is about to break all records and is one for the history books.
Lord Ivar Mountbatten who happens to be the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II is all set to tie the knot with his longtime partner James Coyle. This wedding is set to be trailblazing on many counts. Mainly because it is the first ever gay wedding in the Royal family. The English monarchy has had quite a complicated history with the Queer community but of course, the new wave of Royals are ushering in a new era. Let's find out more about Mountbatten's wedding.
First, let's discuss the original Royal trailblazers - Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The newest Royal couple are already making waves. Meghan Markle has only been a Duchess for roughly a month and has had a lot to keep her busy. Besides her honeymoon with Prince Harry, Meghan has been seen doing Royal duties and has been spotted everywhere from the Queen's birthday celebrations to Ascot. Not only is she winning all hearts she is also winning the pop culture moment.
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Meghan is the first biracial Royal family member, who doesn't just come from a broken home but is also a divorcee. Considering the Royal family's shameful history with divorced people and racism the wedding was thought to be a great step in the right direction. Plus, Meghan is not just an actor but also a philanthropist and committed to the cause of equal rights. In fact, the Duke and Duchess have vouched to work towards LGBTQ rights.
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Now let's talk about the man of the hour. Lord Ivar Mountbatten is Queen Elizabeth's third cousin once removed and is a direct descendant of Queen Victoria. Mountbatten is an aristocrat and a geologist. Though he is not a member of the Royal family he is the first member of the Queen's family to ever be in an open homosexual relationship.
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The 55-year-old Lord Mountbatten is perhaps the most underrated Royal family member considering how bold he has been. Interestingly, it was only a couple of years ago that he admitted to his sexuality and talked about it. And it can't have been too easy for a middle-aged aristocrat with strong ties to the Royal family to come out of the closet.
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Lord Mountbatten used to be a married man. In fact, he was married to socialite Penelope Anne Vere Thompson for 17 years and has three daughters with her. The couple married in 1994, separated in 2010 and divorced in 2011. After their divorce, their Devon home was put on sale and was turned into a wedding venue.
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Lord Mountbatten made headlines in 2016 when he revealed his sexuality. He said that he is in a loving relationship with a man named James Coyle who is an airline services director. Lord Ivar Mountbatten and Coyle met at a ski resort in Verbier, and have been together since. And have now decided to make their relationship official.
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Lord Mountbatten says he is pretty secure about his relationship with his boyfriend James. “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. I want to be able to give you that,” said Ivar.
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If you thought Lord Mountbatten and his wife Penelope, also known as Penny are not on good terms, you are very wrong. Not only is his ex-wife happy for him and proud of him, she is also walking his down the aisle during the ceremony. This is a special ritual and Penny’s involvement is an obvious sign of how supportive Lord Ivar’s family is about his choice, even his children.
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Penelope says that it was suggested by her kids that she should walk their father down the aisle, and also revealed that she is incredibly emotional about it. “I always asked for and demanded complete honesty from Ivar. Perhaps that is a self-destructive part of me, but I wanted to know. I gave him his freedom because I wanted him to be happy,” she said. Her decision to be so involved in her former husband’s next marriage has been applauded by many.
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Lord Ivar and James both seems pretty excited about his big day as they revealed quite a few details about his wedding, which is surely historic. James revealed that the ceremony will be a low-key one and will be held at the private chapel on Lord Mountbatten's Devon estate. Only friends and family members will be in attendance, and it will be an intimate gathering of 120 people. Though traditional wedding elements like the first dance, or the dance-with-the-father or white doves might not find place in the ceremony, the grooms think they shall have cheese instead of cake.
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“We'll be pronounced partners in marriage, but the ceremony itself will be very small. It's just for the girls and close family and friends. Everyone else — about 120 friends — will arrive for the party afterwards. We'll have lovely food and really good music, but there won't be two men in tuxedos on a cake, white doves or anything twee or contrived like that, will there?" James told the media about his upcoming nuptials.
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Lord Ivar has often talked about his struggle with his sexuality. He has revealed that coming out was a funny phrase for him, and he has struggled with his sexual orientation but he is at a place where is very happy about it. “I was driven into the closet by not wanting to come to terms with who I was and facing friends and family in the early years. I buried it. I even had girlfriends as I tried to work out what I wanted to be,” Lord Ivar said.
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Lord Ivar also revealed that his former wife knew about his attraction for men all along, and she was okay with that. But as the Lord approached 40, he felt it was now or never and he really felt the need to make a lifestyle choice and that maybe was the reason why he separated from his wife.
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The one question everyone wants answered is - if the Queen herself will be at the historic ceremony. The first queer royal wedding is a big deal, and the Queen’s presence will obviously be a huge step towards progress and will send a positive message to the people. But it has not been confirmed if Queen Elizabeth II will attend James and Lord Ivar’s wedding.
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Interestingly, the Queen announced in 2018 that she is trying her best to work towards the causes of gender equality and equal wage. She also made clear that discrimination on the basis of gender, race and sexual orientation will not be tolerated or advocated.
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