Royal Dream Home: A Peek Inside Lord Ivar Mountbatten and James Coyle’s Cozy Devon Cottage
Royal Dream Home: A Peek Inside Lord Ivar Mountbatten and James Coyle’s Cozy Devon Cottage
By Laura Benjamin, News Director | January 5, 2026
The Chocolate-Box Country Home
The thatched cottage, where Lord Ivar Mountbatten and his husband, James Coyle, proudly pose, is the quintessential English countryside home. With its cream-colored exterior walls and stunning views of rolling hills, the property also features a lake, tennis court, and swimming pool. There’s plenty of room for the couple’s beloved dog, Simba, to roam around.
A Mix of Modern and Traditional
Inside, the Devon property blends modern and traditional styles. Although the cottage is spacious, with five bedrooms and four bathrooms, it’s much cozier than the couple’s former mansion, the Grade II-listed Bridwell Park, located a quarter of a mile away. For Ivar, however, it’s perfect.
As a second cousin of the King and the great-great-great grandson of Queen Victoria, Ivar is closely related to the current monarch through Louis Mountbatten, first Marquess of Milford Haven. “This is our first joint marital home, and it’s lovely,” Ivar tells us. “It’s nice to have a huge house with all the bells and whistles, but as you get older, you want a simpler life.”
James adds, “I like that our new home is more manageable and offers a less formal way of living. The cottage allows us to truly relax and have more privacy.”
Family and Friends
Ivar’s three children from his first marriage to Penny—Ella, Alexandra, and Louise—visit regularly, and his former wife has become a frequent guest. “The cottage allows us to truly relax and have a lot more privacy,” says James.
Modern Living
Ivar, 62, who was the first member of the extended British royal family to come out as gay, and James, 63, married in 2018 and moved from Bridwell Park into the cottage in September 2024. They initially rented it from a neighbor but now plan to purchase it. The property retains its traditional structure and features, including a fireplace, but also boasts modern touches.
“The stone floors have underfloor heating, which is absolutely fabulous,” a jovial Ivar tells us. “And it’s very high-tech: it’s got electric light switches with different zones and all that sort of stuff.”
“We also have a kitchen-dining room. I like cooking, so if you’re having a dinner party, you feel included. In our old house, everybody would be in the drawing room, and you’d be stuck in the kitchen.”
Creating a Home of Their Own
Ivar bought Bridwell Park, which has over 13,000 sq ft of living space and is set in a 118-acre estate, in 1998. He decided to sell the property last year when it became too overwhelming to run. The sale allowed him and James to finally create a home of their own.
“As an additional spouse, moving into the marital home of your husband and having to accept all the decorations that Penny and I had put in the house was hard,” Ivar says. “Bridwell was my home and my decor, and this time, it’s a combination of both of ours. But principally mine,” he laughs. “I take the lead with the decor, and James is happy for me to do that. He will make some suggestions, which I will turn down straight away.”
Amicable Divorce
Relations with Penny have always been good. “Divorce is never much fun at the best of times, but we have always been good friends,” Ivar says. “We didn’t have any real differences.”
“Penny knew I was gay; I told her before we got married, and I think she felt she could change me. Ultimately, she couldn’t, and I think she wanted something more than perhaps I could give her. As divorces go, it was relatively amicable. She has bought a farmhouse close by, and she gets on very well with James. Whenever I can’t find him, he’s likely to be having a cup of tea with Penny—probably bitching about me.”
Relationship with Duchess Sophie and Lady Louise
The couple is also close to the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who have stayed at their home. Ivar is godfather to their daughter, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, while Prince Edward is godfather to Ivar and Penny’s daughter Ella.
“Edward and Sophie are clearly good friends, and quite often when Sophie comes down to Devon, she will stay here with us. She always used to stay at Bridwell, but she’s also stayed in the farmhouse,” Ivar says. “Then, in the winter, we go up and stay with them for weekends.”
“Lady Louise and I text a lot, but that’s about it. Young people are always very busy!”
