Lord Mountbatten marries James Coyle in first royal same-sex wedding
Lord Ivar Mountbatten is Queen Elizabeth II's third cousin
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Your support makes all the difference.The first same-sex royal wedding has taken place - a historic occasion for the monarchy.
Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, and his partner James Coyle married over the weekend, after announcing in June that they would be tying the knot.
The pair, who have been in a public relationship since Lord Mountbatten announced he was gay in 2016, reportedly exchanged vows in Bridwell Park chapel in Devon in front of 60 family and friends, according to the Daily Mail.
Lord Mountbatten celebrated the occasion by sharing photos of the wedding, which he uploaded to Instagram with the caption: “Well we did it finally! It was an amazing day despite the miserable British weather.”
According to the groom, the service was conducted by Trish Harrogate, chief Registrar for Devon, and was accompanied by a gospel choir.
Alongside pictures of himself and his new husband wearing matching velvet jackets, Lord Mountbatten shared a photo of his three daughters Ella, 22, Alix, 20, and Luli, 16, who were also in attendance.
“Most importantly, a massive thanks to my three gorgeous girls for being so understanding and supportive, without their support this could never have happened!” he wrote.
Previously, Lord Mountbatten's ex-wife Penny announced that she would be walking her ex-husband down the aisle - the girls’ idea.
While most of the royal family wasn’t in attendance due to scheduling conflicts, the newlyweds celebrated with music, champagne, and close family and friends.
To mark their vows to each other, the couple exchanged rings specifically made for them by Milly Maunder, according to Instagram, and are currently honeymooning in Brazil.
Of their decision to marry, Lord Mountbatten said: “I suppose if we had met 10 years ago a civil partnership would have been nice, but now that marriage between a man and a man is legal it seems the right thing to do.
“I have had the whole marriage thing - and been very happy - but James hasn’t, so I see it as a validation of my love for him.”
"And finally, the biggest thank you to James for being just perfect...” the newlywed Lord Mountbatten wrote on Instagram.
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