FAMILY and close friends travelled to London for the same-sex marriage of two Wrexham men which has made history.
Lance Corporal James Wharton, 23, and Thom McCaffrey, 21, had a civil partnership service at Westminster Register Office.
James is a member of the Blues and Royals and it is the first gay wedding for a member of the Household Cavalry .
The couple, who now live in Putney, London, met some four years ago through a mutual friend. They were given permission to hold their wedding reception at the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment’s Knightsbridge barracks.
Thom, a former pupil of St David’s School, Wrexham, who works as a Virgin Atlantic air steward, said: “It was a great day. I am so happy.
James added: “The whole occasion went very fast. We are now looking forward to going on honeymoon to Las Vegas next month.”
Breaking down boundaries is something James is getting used to achieving. Last August the Leader reported he had become the first gay cover star on a British Army magazine.
James had his picture on the front page of Soldier and gave an interview about life in the Armed Forces. The article marked 10 years of gay and lesbian soldiers serving openly in the Army.
In the story for Soldier James, a former pupil of Ysgol Bryn Alyn, Gwersyllt, said: “I told the Army in March 2003 after all my initial training was over.
"I have always known I was gay but it wasn’t until then that I told anyone.”
He served in Iraq in 2007 on long-range desert patrols.
The decision to lift the ban on gay personnel in the army came after two landmark cases heard at the European Court of Human Rights, which found that the Ministry of Defence’s policy was not sustainable.