Mon 19 Sep 2016 In: International News View at Wayback View at NDHA
For the first time in history, a member of the British royal family has come out as gay. The Queen’s cousin, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, has revealed in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, that he had struggled with his sexuality but is now happily in a relationship with James Coyle, who he met in March. “I am a lot happier now, though I am still not 100% comfortable with being gay,” he told the newspaper. “Being a Mountbatten was never the problem, it was the generation into which I was born. When I was growing up, it was known as ‘the love that dare not speak its name’, but what’s amazing now is how far we have all come in terms of acceptance. “Coming out is such a funny phrase but it’s what I suppose I did in a rather roundabout way, emerging to a place I’m happy to be. I have struggled with my sexuality and in some ways I still do; it has been a real journey to reach this point. “Simply talking about it in public is a huge step for me. Up to this point, I have had a heterosexual lifestyle, so living with a man is really new. One step at a time.” Mountbatten says his ex-wife Penelope Thompson - with whom he has three children - was aware of his sexuality before they married. "Penny was aware before we got married,” he told the newspaper, “I told her I was bisexual, that my attraction went both ways. She was understanding and I will always be grateful to her.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 19th September 2016 - 10:51am