Queen Elizabeth’s Gay Cousin Reveals Problem With The Royal Family

Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, made history last year by being the first member of the royal family to be married to the same sex. As he approaches his first wedding anniversary with his husband, James Coyle, Lord Ivar has a few more secrets to spill.

When asked about how his family reacted to his revelation of his sexual orientation, he nonchalantly told Tatler that it’s a subject matter that the House of Windsor isn’t keen on discussing. This happened despite his declaration hope three years ago that his decision would make a positive impact.

“Well, you would hope so!” Lord Ivar expressed. “But they don’t really talk about it. I mean, the royals, they don’t communicate very well,” he added.

The 56-year-old married the 57-year-old Coyle, who is working as a senior cabin crew for an airline. The two met at the Swiss ski resort of Verbier. Lord Ivar separated from his wife, Lady Penny Mountbatten, back in 2011 after making it public that he had struggled with his own sexuality throughout the duration of their relationship.

He has three daughters with Lady Penny, who still live with him at the Mountbatten home in Devon. Surprisingly, even the lady herself is still with them, who sent nothing but well wishes to Lord Ivar and his husband's union. She thinks that he became a completely different person after coming out — and a much happier one at that.

“I think they like having another man in the house. Better than a stepmother who could have turned out to be a stepmonster,” Lord Ivar shared.

He proudly said also that his eldest daughter, Ella, was “very cool” about it, attributing it to the openness of the younger generation where they go on trips and vacations where they “snog each other.” Coyle welcomed Lord Ivar’s children with open arms as he longed for children of his own, giving him a “ready-made family.”

Ironically, it’s the lord himself who is not yet used to having a husband. As he considers himself “traditional,” he still finds the situation odd. His ex-wife and children don’t, so all is well.