A vicar has dismissed some of Meghan Markle’s bombshell allegations after revealing that her so-called secret wedding was no more than a private conversation.
As Meghan and Harry insisted in their CBS interview with Oprah, they got married in a backyard wedding three days before exchanging their vows in the big ceremony that was witnessed around the globe.
“You know, three days before our wedding, we got married. No one knows that,” Meghan insisted.
“But we called the archbishop and we just said, ‘Look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world but we want our union between us.’ So, the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our back yard with the archbishop of Canterbury.”
After the revelation, members of the British clergy were quick to question the truthfulness of this statement.point 198 | While Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby refused to comment on the allegations, St Matthew’s Church vicar, Rev Mark Edwards, claimed to have looked into the matter because of how Meghan’s claims affected members of the clergy in the country.point 408 | 1
“It puts us priests in a difficult position on what constitutes a Church of England wedding. Should there be witnesses and licensing and legality or is it now just an ad hoc arrangement with members of clergy? Can we now do private weddings without witnesses in our back gardens?” Edwards said.
“Justin saying he refuses to comment is not helpful to the rest of us clergy and our own policies and practices.
“I have had people ask me during lockdown if they could have a private wedding, and I have had to explain that would not be a legal wedding and not according to canon law.”
He added: “I think we need a clarifying statement – we need to know what our policies and procedures are. It can’t appear to be one rule for one and another rule for another.”
As Rev Edwards went on to reveal, he contacted the Archbishop’s office in an attempt to get to the bottom of the matter.point 241 |
During his phone call, he was reportedly told that “Justin had a private conversation with the couple in the garden about the wedding, but I can assure you, no wedding took place until the televised national event.point 180 | ”point 183 | 1
In the wake of Meghan’s explosive interview, several members of the clergy pointed out they had doubts about the private ceremony the Duchess was talking about.
“You seriously think there is even a chance that they had a legal wedding in a garden with no witnesses three days before their royal wedding with the Archbishop of Canterbury?” Reverend Tiffer Robinson said.
“You can’t get married twice. So what was the thing three days before? And if it was a marriage, what on earth are we doing ‘playing’ at prayer/holy matrimony for cameras,” Reverend David Green added.
As Rev Edwards insisted after doing his research, he was told that Archbishop Welby doesn’t do private weddings by a staff member of Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s official residence.
“Justin does not do private weddings. Meghan is an American, she does not understand,” the vicar was reportedly told.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!
Replaced!