The Two Relatives of the British Royal Family in Same-Sex Marriages

Slide 1 is Lord Ivar Mountbatten and his husband James Coyle. They married in 2018. Ivar is the younger son of the 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven and the great-great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. As a member of the Mountbatten family he is the first cousin once removed of Prince Philip and second cousin of Charles III. Were it not for the Battenbergs surrendering their German royal titles in favor of English aristocratic titles and anglicizing their surname to Mountbatten due to anti-German sentiment during World War I Ivar would be HSH Prince Ivar of Battenberg. Due to the way British titles work James has no courtesy title while Ivar’s ex-wife retains hers which is certainly unfair; however with the way courtesy titles currently work if James received a courtesy title he would also be Lord Ivar Mountbatten because the wife of a lord becomes Lady (husband’s name) 😂 Hopefully they will amend the system so wives of titled men always receive courtesy titles with their own names and then equivalent courtesy titles can be given to male and/or same-sex spouses (basically what is done in Spain). Ivar has three daughters with his ex-wife Penelope; she gave Ivar away at his wedding to James at the suggestion of their daughters which I think is very sweet.

Slide 2 is Ellen Lascelles and her wife Channtel McPherson. They married in 2024. Ellen is the great-great-granddaughter of George V and great-granddaughter of his daughter Princess Mary and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood. She is therefore the second cousin once removed of Charles III and third cousin of Prince William. As the daughter of a younger son of an earl she has no title. She and Channtel both have children from previous relationships. As Ellen was never married to the father of her children they are not in the line of succession.