Britain’s first-ever same-sex royal marriage is set to take place this summer.

Queen Elizabeth’s cousin Lord Ivar Mountbatten will wed partner James Coyle at his country estate in Devon.

Mountbatten’s ex-wife Penny — who he divorced in 2011 after 17 years of marriage — will be walking him down the aisle, at the suggestion of their three daughters.

Another royal wedding is at hand, and this one is set to be more historic than the last. Hot on the trail of biracial divorcée Meghan Markle’s marriage to Prince Harry, comes the British royal family's first-ever gay marriage.

Lord Ivar Mountbatten, cousin to Queen Elizabeth II, is set to marry his partner James Coyle on his country estate later this summer. The 55-year-old revealed the details of the upcoming ceremony to The Daily Mail, explaining how while he didn’t feel the need to get married "because I’ve been there, done that, and have my wonderful children," he "really wanted to do it for James."

Mountbatten publicly came out as gay in 2016 and gay marriage became legal in the UK in 2014. Up until that point, only his wife Penny was aware of his sexual orientation. Though the two divorced in 2011 after 17 years of marriage, they remain friends and co-parents to their three daughters Ella, Alix, Luli.

Penny is so supportive of her ex and his new relationship that she is set to walk him down the aisle and give him away at his own wedding.

"It was the girls' idea. It makes me feel quite emotional. I'm really very touched," she told The Daily Mail, adding how she and Coyle "have got on from the first 10 seconds of meeting each other."

The girls are excited too. "When I mentioned it to our eldest daughter, Ella, she said, 'Oh Pap, it's not a big deal. It's so normal nowadays,'" explains Mountbatten. "Of course that generation, they're completely cool about the concept of this."

"Ivar is so much more relaxed these days," Penny said. "He’s so much kinder. 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."

The ceremony is set to be be small and non-traditional; no first dance, no little tuxedoed men atop a cake, no white doves. The couple plans on hosting a small party afterwards but will "probably have cheese, instead of cake" — a choice I personally couldn’t stan enough.

Lord Mountbatten is still in disbelief. "I never thought this would happen. It’s brilliant, but I never thought I’d marry a man."



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