Gay royal wedding: Lord Mountbatten’s ex-wife will walk him down aisle
The first member of the royal family to come out as gay will be given away by his ex-wife in landmark royal wedding.
Just a few weeks after Prince Harry and MeghanĀ Markle tied the knot,Ā Queen Elizabeth’s cousin announced that he will be tying the knot with his husband-to-be over the weekend.
Lord Ivar Mountbatten, who came out in 2016, has announced that his ex-wife will be walking him down the aisle on his big day.
Talking to the Daily Mail, LordĀ Mountbatten’sĀ ex-wife Lady Penny MountbattenĀ said she was really excited for the wedding and feels quite emotional about walking her ex-husband down the aisle.
āIt makes me feel quite emotional. I’m really very touched,ā she said, before adding that their children were the ones to suggest she walk theĀ lord down the aisle.
āIt was the girls’ idea.ā
Lady MountbattenĀ then went on to say how much she has gotten on with LordĀ Mountbatten’s new partner, James Coyle.
āYou and I have got on from the first ten seconds of meeting each other, haven’t we?ā she said in a joint interview.
Taking a minute to reflect, Lady Mountbatten talked about how Coyle has changed theĀ lord for the better.
āWhat I don’t think Ivar realises is how much he has changed as a man since he ‘came out,’ā sheĀ said.
āJames is hugely responsible for that because he’s so much fun.ā
Lady Mountbatten saidĀ that, since coming out, Lord Mountbatten has become much nicer and relaxed. She’s evenĀ given him a nickname.
āIvar is so much more relaxed these days. He’s so much kinder. He’s become a great cook. I now call him Fanny Cradock,” she said.
“He probably wasn’t even aware that by keeping his sexuality a secret it was really quite tormenting him. Now it’s ‘out’ he’s a completely different person. Everybody says they’ve never seen him happier.ā
LordĀ Mountbatten is set to marry Coyle at a private chapel in Devon in front of the coupleās close friends and family.
However, the queen and her immediate family wonāt be there.
“Sadly they can’t come to the wedding. Their diaries are arranged months in advance and they’re not around, but they adore James. Everyone adores him,āĀ Lord MountbattenĀ said.