Ella Mountbatten Weds in Traditional Ceremony with Royal Guests

Ella Mountbatten, daughter of King Charles's cousin Lord Ivar Mountbatten, recently married insurance broker Fergus Wright in a ceremony attended by Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh and Ella's godfather, played a significant role by signing the marriage register.

The wedding took place at St Luke's Church in Milland, West Sussex, with approximately 200 guests. Among the attendees were Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, as well as Madeleine Lloyd Webber, wife of Andrew Lloyd Webber and godmother to the groom.

In a modern twist on tradition, Ella, 30, delivered a speech at the reception, a role traditionally reserved for the father of the bride, groom, and best man. "When else are you going to get all your favourite people in one place to say thanks for all the effort that everyone put in?" Ella remarked about her decision to speak.

The bride, who studied at Bristol University, wore a bespoke ivory silk-satin gown by Ella May London. Her romance with Wright, a graduate of Edinburgh University, began during the pandemic when her planned move to New York was canceled, leading them to become housemates. "Literally, if it wasn't for that, we wouldn't be together," Ella stated.

Ella's parents, Lord Ivar Mountbatten and Penny, who divorced amicably in 2011 after 17 years of marriage, were both present. Lord Ivar later made history as the first member of the extended royal family to have a same-sex wedding in 2018 when he married James Coyle.

A unique element of the celebration was the newlyweds' getaway car: the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car. This fulfilled a childhood dream for Ella, with her godmother Mary Montagu Scott having taken special driving lessons for the occasion.

The reception was held at Great Trippetts Estate, the home of Ella's uncle George Mountbatten, 4th Marquess of Milford Haven, and his wife Clare. This venue was secured after Lord Ivar sold Bridwell Park, the family's former Devon estate.

Coincidentally, the couple discovered that their honeymoon destination, Tongabezi in Zambia, was the same lodge where Lord Ivar had taken Penny on their honeymoon three decades prior.

For her bridal look, Ella opted for a delicate Moussaieff leaf-motif tiara, distinguishing her from her mother who wore a heavier Mountbatten family piece on her own wedding day. A young guest, Wilbur Wentworth-Stanley, son of actress Cressida Bonas, reportedly told Ella she looked "like a princess" as she arrived at the church.

The wedding cake was a tower of mochi, Japanese rice cakes, a choice inspired by Penny's nickname for her daughter. Ella changed into a second outfit for the evening, a shimmering backless top and fringed skirt designed with her sister Luli, for dancing.