Lord Ivar Mountbatten is gaining attention as a contestant on The Traitors — but what is his connection to the royal family?
Alan Cumming revealed on the Today Show in June 2024 that Ivar Mountbatten would be joining the cast of season 3 of the competition series, alongside reality TV veterans like Boston Rob Mariano, Danielle Reyes, Tom Sandoval, and Chrishelle Stause, among others, making a total of 21 contestants. Though not widely recognized for his television appearances, Mountbatten has gained fame as a member of the royal family and notably, the first openly gay member.
Ivar, born in March 1963, is the son of David Mountbatten, the 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven, and Janet Mercedes Bryce. As the grandson of Prince George of Battenberg and the great-great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria through his father, Ivar’s lineage is deeply entwined with European royalty. His father, a cousin of Prince Philip who wed Queen Elizabeth II in 1947, connects Ivar to British royalty with multiple familial relations.
Ivar has been candid about how he considered Philip to be a father figure to him after his dad died in 1970.
Reflecting on his relationship with Prince Philip, Ivar shared with The Telegraph in April 2021, stating, “In later years, I would sit with him and ask endless questions about my father. It was wonderful to have someone who could tell me everything about him. Prince Philip was a wonderful listener; you could tell him anything as long as you were being honest and forthright. He was happy to listen to your thoughts. But if he had some advice he thought you ought to hear, he’d give it to you.”
As a member of the extended family, Ivar does not have any royal duties. He has previously worked as a geologist and businessman. Ivar is also the former director of the SCL Group, which was a strategic communication company. While Ivar is a member of the royal family, he understands why he is not involved in royal events as much as he once was a child.
“The family has got very large,” he told Tatler in 2019. “When we were younger we went to royal events all the time. But now that everyone has had children, quite rightly everything has slimmed down.”
While Ivar isn’t active with the royals, he does have a close relationship with some of them. He has maintained bonds with King Charles’ youngest brother Prince Edward and his wife Duchess Sophie. Ivar is the godfather to Edward and Sophie’s daughter Lady Louise Windsor.
Edward and Sophie are the godparents to two of Ivar’s children, daughters Ella and Alix, whom he shares with ex-wife Penny Mountbatten. (The exes, who split in 2011, also share daughter Luli.)
Ivar made history in 2016 when he became the first member of the royal family to openly be in a same-sex relationship with now-husband James Coyle. The couple tied the knot in 2018 and were the first British royals to have a same-sex wedding. While chatting with The Independent in 2023, Ivar shared that his family “was incredibly supportive” about his and Coyle’s relationship.
