King Charles' cousin Lord Ivar Mountbatten insists he doesn't miss his £5.5m country estate - and instead prefers renting
- Lord Ivar Mountbatten and his husband James now live in a rented cottage
- READ MORE: Lord Mountbatten puts Grade I Georgian house in Devon on the market for £5.5million amid battle with rising costs
A cousin of King Charles has revealed that he doesn't miss his multi-million-pound country estate - and he instead prefers to rent.
Lord Ivar Mountbatten, 61, put Bridwell Park, his Grade I Georgian house in mid-Devon, on the market for £5.5million in April last year.
The estate had been owned by his family since 1997 and Ivar lived there with his husband, James Coyle, an air cabin services director.
The pair said at the time they were putting it up for sale on a 'commercial and residential' basis and vacated the property in September so that the new buyers could settle in.
At the time, Ivar and James moved into a rented thatched cottage located around a quarter of a mile from the main gates of the estate.
But Ivar has now revealed he prefers renting to owning a house because you don't need to worry about the cost endured for maintaining the property.
He told The Times: 'I must say, it’s lovely. When you are renting there’s no maintenance. We’re now thinking, actually, do we want the hassle of buying another property?
'My neighbour lived here and he spent a lot of money on it. It has flagstone floors, all with underfloor heating. It has zoned lighting. It’s got wi-fi throughout the whole house. It is exceedingly comfortable, with every mod con you can possibly want — like those boiling water taps.'
Lord Ivar Mountbatten and his husband James Coyle (pictured L-R) put Bridwell Park on the market for £5.5million in April 2024
Ivar said that he doesn't miss Bridwell, admitting that he longs for his old home, Moyns Park, more.
He moved to Moyns when he seven years old and said it was run 'like Downton Abbey,' adding that he has a footman, butler, a cook and multiple maids, gardeners and chauffeurs.
The Elizabethan house was inherited by his cousin before being bought by his uncle when he wed a wealthy American Josephine Hartford, the heiress to the A&P grocery fortune.
Ivar, a great-nephew of the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma, inherited Moyns and lived there until 1997, when he moved to Bridwell.
When asked whether he would purchase another stately home, he said: 'You can only sit in one chair and sleep in one bed, so it’s all very nice having a grand house but in the end it’s hassle. As you get older, you want less and less hassle.'
Ivar also believes that the Moyns estate is 'definitely haunted', claiming that a ghost used to live in the drawing room.
He said that this particular room was always colder than others and that he made a lot of noise, knocking around furniture.
Ivar said that his husband James also experienced a poltergeist when they lived at Bridwell, adding that he saw someone walked around the end of his bed and walked through the wall.
James Coyle and Lord Ivar Mountbatten are pictured at a restaurant launch in London in 2023
Pictured L-R: Sophie Wessex, Penny Mountbatten, Ivar Mountbatten, Prince Edward, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth are pictured in 1995 arriving at their holiday cruise in Scotland
He said that Bridwell was the home that had the biggest impact on him, as that is where he raised his three children, Ella, Alix and Luli, with his ex-wife, Penny.
When he put the house up for sale last year, Ivar appeared to have every intention of remaining at the property.
'Our aim is to find an investor to join us,' Ivar said, as reported by the Daily Mail's Richard Eden, adding that he and James would 'carefully review how we can make best use of the house and the parkland'.
He described as 'a strategic decision which forms part of our wider plans,' however, the couple could not remain at the house post-sale.
Lord Ivar, 61, became the first member of the extended Royal Family to enter into a same-sex union in 2018, marrying James at Bridwell.
Bridwell had been hidden from the public gaze for more than 240 years until 2015 when Ivar and James opened its doors for events.
The house had been hidden from the public gaze for more than 240 years until 2015 when Ivar and James opened its doors for events.
The pair then further opened up the site to the general public with the launch of the Orangery Cafe in 2020.
Visitors have also been able to make use of the parkland for walks during café opening times.
However, he admitted defeat in his battle to persuade pet owners to pay £60 a year to walk their dogs on his estate. He scrapped the charge after visitor numbers soared by 40 per cent since he suspended the scheme.
'Membership and general admission income hasn't strengthened our position as much as we hoped,' he said.
'Visitor numbers have also slowly diluted. Anyone who has been able to join us in January will have noticed in contrast, how guest numbers have grown.'
