It turns out Red, White and Royal Blue has some grounding in real life after all, in the form of Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a gay member of the royal family who is now a star of hit reality show The Traitors US.
The British aristocrat, farmer and businessman is the late Queen Victoria’s great-great-great-grandson and a second cousin of King Charles III.
The 61-year-old Lord made history as the first openly gay member of the extended British Royal Family.
When did Lord Ivar Mountbatten come out as gay?
Lord Ivar Mountbatten announced that he was gay in 2016, sharing he was in a romantic relationship with James Coyle, an airline cabin services director.
Mountbatten was married to Penelope Anne Vere Thompson from 1994 to 2010 with whom he has three daughters.
Mountbatten and Coyle got married on Mountbatten’s estate of Bridwell Park in a private ceremony in 2018.
In a particularly heartwarming twist, during the ceremony, Mountbatten’s former wife walked him down the aisle.
How is Lord Ivar Mountbatten related to Queen Elizabeth II?
Mountbatten is the late Queen’s great-great-great-grandson (third cousin once removed).
Though he isn’t a direct member of the royal family, he still has strong ties to the royals as an extended family member.
He is the youngest son of David Michael Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven and Miss Janet Mercedes Bryce.
Through his father, Mountbatten is a second cousin of King Charles and a first cousin once removed of Prince Philip.
Also, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are godparents to his daughters.
Speaking to Tatler in 2019, Mountbatten shared that he hopes his decision to come out was good for the royal family. Though he added: “But then they don’t really talk about it. I mean, the royals, they don’t communicate very well.”
Who is Lord Ivar Mountbatten’s husband and how did they meet?
Mountbatten and Coyle first met after Mountbatten’s divorce, at a time when he wasn’t publicly out as gay.
He told Tatler: “I went on a few dates, and that’s when I thought, ‘do I really want to go down that route again, of having girlfriends?’ Even though that’s what I was most comfortable with, because I was used to it.”
However, his perspective changed when he met Coyle. The pair first met in the Farinet bar in Verbier, Switzerland. Coyle, who was working as a senior cabin crew for an airline, mistook Ivar for his ski instructor.
Their relationship moved quite quickly; within weeks Coyle had been introduced to Mountbatten’s family.
As Tatler notes: “James had also spent years trying to bury his sexuality. He grew up as one of four, and remembers his father referring to him as ‘the queer one’ when they were young.
“The sense of relief and freedom they both feel today is palpable. Perhaps most remarkable of all, there seems to be no losers in their story.”
Mountbatten has shared that he and Coyle have “a very modern marriage.
“There was no proposal, just an acceptance of this great love. He cares. I care. The girls are very accepting.”
What is Lord Ivar Mountbatten’s net worth?
According to CompanyCheck, Mountbatten’s combined business assets have a value of £838,000.
Who else is in the cast of The Traitors US Season 3?
Lord Ivar Mountbatten is just one star that is set to feature on The Traitors season three of the UK version, helmed by the iconic Claudia Winkleman.
Revealing the 21-person cast, host Alan Cumming laid out who we can look forward to seeing compete for a cash prize of up to $250,000 (£195,937) at the Scottish castle.
Mountbatten will be joined by Britney Spears’ ex Sam Asghari, Bravo star Tom Sandoval, Survivor’s, Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause, Big Brother’s Britney Haynes and Danielle Reyes, Bob the Drag Queen from RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Bachelorette’s Wells Adams.
Go for the gold and trust no traitor
— Peacock (@peacock) June 5, 2024#TheTraitorsUS Season 3 coming soon to Peacock. pic.twitter.com/tIOUNzGmZG
Also: Zac Efron’s brother Dylan Efron, Survivor’s Tony Vlachos, Carolyn Wiger and Jeremy Collins, Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval, former professional wrestler Nikki Garcia, The Biggest Loser’s Bob Harper and Summer House’s Ciara Miller.
Stars from The Real Housewives franchise are also going to be arriving in full force: Dorinda Medley, Chanel Ayan, Dolores Catania and Robyn Dixon.
The Traitors see the contestants belong to one of two groups; the faithful or the traitors. The latter’s goal is to eliminate the faithful and steal the prize money.
They must compete in a series of challenges, the Faithfuls will try to uncover the traitors and kick them out of the game.
If the Faithful contestants banish all the Traitors, they will share the prize fund, but if the Traitors make it to the end, they will steal all the money.
The Traitors US Season 3 does not have a release date yet – as soon as it does, we’ll let you know.
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