Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, is set to marry his partner James Coyle this summer.
It will be the first official same-sex marriage for the royal family and is joyfully being celebrated as a historic moment.
Ivar and James aren’t planning a large wedding but instead are looking into a more intimate affair with about 100 family members and friends. But that’s a reflection of their own desire for intimacy as opposed to any tension within the family or amongst friends.
“All my good friends have accepted James,” Mountbatten said. “I basically told everyone, ‘I’ve found somebody — it’s a bloke.’ They just started laughing. Then they met James and one particular mate said, ‘If I was gay, I’d certainly go for him.’”
Mountbatten first came out in 2016 and has three daughters from his previous marriage. His ex-wife Penny is planning to give him away at the ceremony, an idea that came from their daughters. “It makes me feel quite emotional,” she said. “I’m really very touched.”
The wedding is just the latest example of progress from the socially and civic-minded royals.
Millions around the world tuned in to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May. It was a beautiful display of blending cultures that was widely celebrated.
And now, the duke and duchess of Sussex are preparing for their first international trip, where they will visit Ireland, a nation with a complicated and turbulent history with England.
While largely staying out of politics, Prince William and Prince Harry have dedicated much of their lives to public service.
Queen Elizabeth herself reportedly has maintained a progressive stand on marriage equality. Though she rarely comments on politics or national debates, the royal family did push back in 2016 when a rumor surfaced that she was personally opposed to England legalizing marriage equality.
The monarchy may be antiquated in some respects, but they still have significant influence.
The royal family is a powerful symbol of British culture. Celebrations like this are important milestones of inclusion that are fun and can have a positive effect throughout the world.
Seeing the announcement of their first same-sex marriage welcomed with open arms is exciting and reassuring. Weddings are a time to be happy and that’s even more so when all are welcome.
