Who is Ivar Mountbatten, British royal family member and reality TV star?

Could he be the rebel of the British royal family? What is certain is that he did not follow the same path as his distant cousins. It is on the Bridwell estate, in the southwest of England, that Lord Ivar Mountbatten built his life as a newlywed and now as a reality TV star. As revealed by his Instagram account, the aristocrat is part of the cast of the new season of The Traitors US (The Traitors in its French version), alongside Britney Spears' ex-husband, Sam Asghari, and Zac Efron's brother, Dylan Efron.

But Ivar Mountbatten is not his first attempt. He has already appeared in many reality TV shows like Treasure Islandin 2019, a survivalist program presented by the famous adventurer Bear Grylls. Since 2022, he has been one of the stars of the show Keeping Up With the Aristocratsa program similar to Keeping Up With the Kardashians or even to Real Housewives de Beverly Hills. During the episodes, the cameras follow the daily lives of four couples from the English aristocracy. If his participation in this new program divides in England, Ivar Mountbatten seems to have a real need to be in front of the cameras.

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The Windsors' distant cousin

Lord Ivar Mountbatten was born in London, on March 9, 1963. As Lord, his family tree consists of family members of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Her father, David Mountbatten, was the first cousin of the sovereign's husband. As for the late Queen Elizabeth II, Ivar Mountbatten is also her third cousin. As reported Vanity Fairhe would be a descendant of Queen Victoria and Lord Louis Mountbatten, last Viceroy of India. Ivar Mountbatten likes to brag about his status within the Windsor clan. When he appears on television, he does not hesitate to point out that his cousins ​​occupy the throne of England.

In Keeping Up with the Aristocratshe claims that he is very close to Prince Edward, the youngest of Elizabeth II's children. A strong bond confirmed by the youngest brother of King Charles III, when he asked the aristocrat to be the godfather of his daughter who he had with Princess Sophie, Lady Louise Windsor. But what about his relationship with the rest of the royal clan? Although he grew up close to them, and lived a royal life for a time, going to numerous events, posing in front of journalists and fleeing the paparazzi, a certain distance has since set in. However, it is possible to see him at Royal Ascot with his family, not far from his cousins. “The family has grown a lot,” he confided to Tatler, in an article from January 10, 2025. “When we were younger, we went to royal events all the time. But now that everyone has had children, rightly so, everything has been scaled back.” Yet when he was young, Ivar Mountbatten followed the same path as some prominent members of the Windsors. He was educated at Gordonstoun School, the same institution attended by Prince Philip and King Charles III, before obtaining his bachelor's degree from Middlebury College in Vermont, United States.

A first marriage

Before meeting his current husband, James Coyle, Ivar Mountbatten was married to Penelope Thompson. They tied the knot in April 1994, in a lavish wedding at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Clare, Suffolk. Among the guests present that day, the faces of Prince Edward and Princess Margaret were recognizable, hidden under their traditional hats. The day of their union, the spouses are on the cover of the magazine Hello ! and pose with Queen Elizabeth II's sister and King Charles III's youngest brother.

Lord Ivar Mountbatten and Lady Penny then settled on the Bridwell estate and, two years later, they welcomed a daughter, Ella, goddaughter of Prince Edward. In 1998, the family grew with the birth of Alexandra, goddaughter of Princess Sophie, and Louise, in 2002. A perfect family in every respect. However, life is not all rosy for Penelope and Ivar. Their couple encountered several obstacles and they ended up divorcing in 2011, after seventeen years of marriage. The distant cousin of Elizabeth II is going through this ordeal and lets his family know that he wants a change of scenery. He is considering selling the family home in Bridwell and plans to travel. But an encounter will ultimately thwart his plans.

The meeting that will change everything

Before marrying Penelope Thompson, Ivar Mountbatten was honest with her about revealing his bisexuality. After his separation from the mother of his children, wouldn't the British aristocrat want to explore the other side of this bisexuality? “I still wasn't comfortable with it at that point,” he told Tatler. “I went on a few dates, and that's when I said to myself, 'Do I really want to go down this path again, to have girlfriends?' Even if that’s what suited me the most, because I was used to it.” But Queen Elizabeth's distant cousin will not have time to ask more questions. While enjoying a few days of vacation in Verbier, Switzerland, Ivar Mountbatten meets James Coyle.

The latter works as a cabin crew member for British Airways. Arriving at the Farinet bar in Verbier, James mistook Ivar for a ski instructor and allegedly shouted “Hello!” through the establishment, towards the aristocrat. A chance encounter which leads them to a beautiful romantic relationship, then to a marriage. In September 2018, Ivar Mountbatten married James Coyle during a small ceremony which took place in the private chapel of the Bridwell estate, where the couple now live. This time, members of the Windsor family are missing but Lady Penny is indeed present, having offered her blessing to the future bride and groom. She is the one who accompanies her former husband to the altar that day. “It’s an idea from our three daughters. It moved me a lot,” Penelope Thomspon confided to Daily Mail in 2018.

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Homosexuality within the royal family

If, today, Ivar Mountbatten is happy with his husband, he, at first, preferred to conceal his homosexuality, for fear that it would be revealed by someone other than him. “It wasn’t being a Mountbatten that was the problem, it was being born in my generation. It was a real journey to get there,” he confided to Mail on Sunday. “The royal family has never had a problem with homosexuality,” Marc Roche tells Vanity Fair. “At the palace, there have always been many openly gay butlers, valets, etc..” But in 2016, the British aristocrat could no longer hold out and came out. If the cameras are now focused on him, as the first member of the royal family to accept his homosexuality, Ivar Mountbatten feels freed from a weight. “I don't think Ivar realizes how much he's changed as a man since coming out as gay. He is so much more relaxed,” confided Lady Penny to Daily Mail. “He became a great cook, and probably didn't know that keeping his sexuality a secret would ruin his life.”

If society has evolved regarding this subject, so has the royal family. In the summer of 2024, Prince William said he would have no problem if any of his children were gay and that he would “fully support any decision they make.” For Tatler, Ivar Mountbatten explains that his daughters immediately supported him when he announced his homosexuality. “The older generation in my family has seen and done it all. In the 1940s, they lagged behind a bit. My aunt Nada (Nadeja Mountbatten, 2nd Marchioness of Milfrod Haven) was a lesbian. You have to try everything once, that’s what my mother always said,” the British aristocrat told Tatler. Away from Buckingham Palace, Ivar Mountbatten is not front and center at royal events. But he continues to live his life as a famous aristocrat, proud of his connection with the Windsors, lovers of James Coyle. And cameras.