The latest series of The Traitors US is set to welcome a royal contestant for the first time, as Lord Ivar Mountbatten has officially been confirmed to be joining the star-studded lineup. The 61 year old royal boasts a number of connections to the family, including King Charles who himself is Ivar’s second cousin.

Yet it isn’t just the monarch that Ivar is close to, as he also shares a strong bond with Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, both of whom are godparents to his daughters. In a similar reciprocal fashion, Ivar is also the proud godfather to their daughter Lady Louise Windsor.

Even more interestingly, Ivar also made history back in 2016 when he came out as gay, before going on to become the first member of the royal family to have a same-sex wedding to his now-husband James Coyle in 2018. Prior to revealing his sexuality, Ivar had been married for 17 years to wife Penelope Anne Vere Thompson, however the couple decided to divorce in 2011 but remained good friends – so much so, she even walked him down the aisle at his wedding to James!

In addition to his strong family connections, following the death of his own father in April 1970, Ivar previously came to think of the late Prince Philip as a father figure and previously recounted how much the late Duke of Edinburgh had supported him following his father’s demise.

Lord Ivar told The Telegraph “Prince Philip, then 49, and Uncle Dickie stepped up and supported my mother, who’d been left a widow aged just 31. She was hugely grateful to the Duke for keeping an eye on her and for being a sort of father figure to us, her two boys.”

Recounting how Philip had been such a great listener and often told him stories about his father, Ivar went on to add: “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.

He then explained: “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.”

Lord Ivar is just one of 21 famous faces taking part in the upcoming series of the popular gameshow The Traitors US. Just like its British counterpart, the US version of the hit BBC show is filmed in Scotland, however unlike the series helmed by Claudia Winkleman, the US version is hosted by Alan Cumming and features celebrities rather than members of the public.

This year, the star studded cast will see a host of celebrities take part, including Britney Spears’ ex-husband Sam Asgahri, Zak Efron ’s brother Dylan, four Real Housewives, Ru Paul’s Drag Race alumni Bob the Drag Queen, Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval and three former Survivor contestants to name but a few.

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